By Elizabeth Bonin, Staff Writer

(Feb. 13, 2020) The Worcester County Treasurer’s Office will continue to keep a satellite office at the Isle of Wight location, now that the county commissioners have abandoned the idea of relocating it to the Ocean Pines Library.

The Treasurer’s office will not be moving into the Ocean Pines Library after a motion made by Commissioner Jim Bunting

During their Jan. 7 meeting, the commissioners voted to move the office to one of the two computer labs in the library because the current Isle of Wight facility has problems. They also approved an FY20 over-expenditure of $7,088.33 for office furniture.

However, a clause in the 99-year lease between Ocean Pines and the county states that the land the county leased for the library could only be used for library services.

According to Dick Brady, who was the Ocean Pines Association president when the contract was written in the 1990s, that clause was to prevent the county from turning the library into additional office space. The dollar-a-year lease states that any change to the contract must go through a public referendum process.

At the county commissioners Feb. 4 meeting, County Commissioner Jim Bunting moved to keep the office to remain at its current location, at the intersection of Route 90 and St. Martins Neck Road.

“Due to calls and emails I’ve received, I would like to see us — for our office to remain at the Isle of Wight,” Bunting said.

The motion passed unanimously.