By Jack Chavez, Staff Writer

(Aug. 4, 2022) Ocean Pines Director Larry Perrone resigned his position as Ocean Pines Association treasurer during the July 27 board of directors meeting.

In a press release two days after the meeting, the association announced that Director Doug Parks would serve as the acting treasurer until new officers are elected by the newly impaneled board of directors. That new board will convene after the results of this year’s board elections are announced next weekend.

“This decision is a result of (OPA President Colette Horn’s) direction to me and the rest of the board that we are prohibited from answering any financial questions raised by community members,” Perrone read from a written statement at the beginning of the meeting.

Perrone detailed that Horn advised in an email sent the day before that all financial questions should be referred to the website — in essence, Perrone said, to the general manager, making John Viola the “de facto” treasurer.

“This direction was a consequence of the question directed to me as treasurer of the association by a member of the community,” he continued. “In my attempt to request a financial report from the GM and director of finance, I was advised by the GM to submit the question to (the website).”

“When I asked for authority to make such a unilateral decision, you advised me and the board that you feel this is the best course of action … You do not have the authority to direct the treasurer or the board to not answer questions from community members. I cannot support this direction, which I believe contradicts the duties of the treasurer or any board.”

In response, Horn said she was sorry Perrone felt that way but said that a follow-up email cleared up that her authority was neither for nor against directors answering questions and that the website was put in place to reduce confusion and create a “business-like approach” to following up on all questions dealing with association operations.

“I do not believe that means individual directors can’t answer questions but simply would encourage directors to continue to use the info (on the website) and get the questions to the right person on the operations team so we have the consistency of communication,” she said.

Perrone retorted that if the treasurer can’t answer a “simple financial question,” then the association has the wrong person in the treasurer’s position.

“This is the last of a couple of instances involving a conflict between the treasurer and the GM regarding duties and responsibilities of the treasurer,” Perrone said. “Unfortunately, you have taken the position that the GM should be the sole source of answering financial questions.”

“He is not the treasurer of the association. He is the chief operating and personnel officer.”

Pines resident Joe Reynolds, sitting in on the meeting, offered his two cents, saying that Horn has “put up a Berlin Wall” between the association and its members.

“I’m not sure what the goal is here and again I believe this keeps going back to personal stuff. Is it that somebody doesn’t like Larry Perrone or somebody doesn’t like me?” Reynolds said.

“It makes no sense. What do you hope to gain? Are you going to forbid every board member from posting anything on the internet? Because in essence, that’s what you’re doing.”