Farr, Lakernick appear  best board candidates

This year’s Ocean Pines election has no bad choices among the four candidates seeking seats on the board of directors, but we are recommending Stuart Lakernick and Rick Farr as our top picks.

Our main concern with current board member candidate Frank Daly is his dogged decision to push forward on a costly effort to change the DRs in neighborhoods, which could open the door to fining property owners. Daly is also proposing to add some monitoring of compliance on short-term rentals to the police department. That is not their responsibility, and only serves to take away from their important role of community safety.

Certainly, compliance enhancement on the handful of problem short-term rental properties needs to be done, as neighbors should not have to suffer through a summer season of disturbance to the quiet enjoyment of their home. However, it is better addressed by working more diligently through the county and Ocean Pines CPI department, which already handle those matters.

While Daly does have board experience, Ocean Pines elections have a 2-3-2 three-year board cycle which allows new members to come into the mix and get up to speed their first year, making progress a non-issue.

Additionally, putting Lakernick and Farr on the board will provide a better balance of golfers to non-golfers. The golf course is one of the community’s largest amenities, and one of the costliest to maintain and operate.

Currently six of the seven board members are golfers. Although this year the course is ahead of budget, that has not always been the case and even over budget it still costs every property owner additional funding over income to operate each year. Having some board members who can review decisions for the course from a non-golf property owner’s viewpoint would be best.

We also feel this past year’s board in-fighting, over-stepping board responsibilities, and minimizing members not in the majority will benefit from having two moderately tempered new members in Farr and Lakernick.