Ocean Pines residents, and voters in particular, are more fortunate than they realize: while other towns, communities and even hamlets have multiple issues with which to deal, Ocean Pines apparently has just one: the general manager.
That would be judging from comments at a recent candidate’s forum, where it was asserted that every problem could be fixed, every question could be answered and every needed improvement could be accomplished by making just one personnel move.
Other communities, by contrast, have to slog through myriad meetings, discussions and strategy sessions to find way to address multiple unrelated issues.
But not in Ocean Pines, where the simple act of firing General Manager Bob Thompson will take care of everything.
Or so some have suggested.
The simplistic nature of this argument, however, suggests that these candidates are so focused on dumping Thompson that either they haven’t thought about other matters relevant to Pines voters or they have a limited understanding of how governing bodies work.
This episode is reminiscent of the county commissioner elections a few decades ago, when inevitably one or more candidates would declare that there was nothing wrong with the county that firing then-County Administrator John Yankus wouldn’t fix.
Election after election, calls for the late Mr. Yankus’ firing was the centerpiece of someone’s candidacy, and yet Yankus would go on to serve, even after his critics joined the board. Why? Because he knew how to manage the government and they didn’t, and because they learned that he had no more power than what they gave him.
The same can be said for any OPA general manager. While some managers are better than others, it still stands to reason that a cohesive policy, clear direction and an established level of accountability will make any manager better. Or else.
That’s the first thing that candidates ought to pledge to work toward, rather than harping on the same old thing.