At the time this was being written, three days remained before the end-of-the-day Friday filing deadline for the Ocean Pines Board of Directors election, with just one candidate officially on the ballot.

Another has informed board officials of his/her intention to file, leaving just two people to pursue one of three seats available. Incumbent Esther Diller, whose term expires this summer, has yet to say anything about whether she plans to seek reelection, and no one else seems to have expressed interest.

This puts the possibility of an election in doubt, although a last-minute rush of filings is always possible, given the improved odds of winning provided by a ballot that, as of now, offers little competition.

Either way, something different is happening in Ocean Pines Association politics this year. Most notably, the run-up to this election has been devoid of the usual harsh criticisms of how the board has conducted its business, and no one or group has stepped forward to assert that changes must be made.

If this were a B-movie western, one of the characters would say, “It’s quiet, too quiet.”

Or, aside from some neighborhood concerns here and there, property owners are relatively contented with how things are going, and see no need to shake things up.

That could be the case, considering last week’s report on the association’s much improved financial outlook. After suffering heavy losses in the years immediately preceding this board’s tenure, that $200,000 net projected for the current budget’s year-end serves as an excellent rebuttal to any claims that the association’s affairs aren’t being managed properly.

Maybe an election will take place, and maybe it won’t, but any calls that the board needs to take a new direction would seem to be, well, misdirected.