OCEAN CITY, Md. - Ocean City’s upcoming special election has become a broader test of how town government functions during one of the busiest stretches of the year. After Councilman Larry Yates resigned due to health concerns, town officials rescheduled the special election from April 21 to Friday, May 8, and expanded it from a race for one open seat to a race for two.
The original special election was called because former Council Secretary Tony DeLuca resigned in February, after weeks of controversy over whether he met Ocean City’s residency and domicile requirements. DeLuca’s departure created the first vacancy and triggered the initial April 21 election. Yates’ resignation then forced the town to adjust course, so voters will now fill both seats in one special election rather than through separate contests.
That means Ocean City is spending part of the spring with a seven-member council reduced to five members, and town leaders acknowledge that creates challenges even if they expect the situation to be temporary. Mayor Rick Meehan told WBOC the moment is “really unprecedented” in his experience, saying he has never before seen the town in this position during his years as both a councilman and mayor. He said the town should be able to address the vacancies relatively quickly once the May 8 election is held and the winners are sworn in, but he also made clear the council is in a stronger position with all seven seats filled.
Meehan said much of the town’s work to prepare for summer is already done by this point in the calendar, with Ocean City moving more fully into operational mode after the budget process. Still, he said the practical difficulty of operating with five members instead of seven has already shown itself. Meehan pointed to a recent situation in which a scheduled council meeting could not proceed because there were not enough members present for a quorum. That matters because during the ramp-up to summer, the council is typically handling policy questions, operational decisions, and seasonal issues that affect how the resort functions heading into its busiest months.
Councilman Jake Mitrecic told WBOC the challenge is not only symbolic but mathematical. With two empty seats, he said, it becomes harder to move items forward because the margin for disagreement is smaller from the start. In his view, that puts more pressure on the remaining councilmembers to compromise, communicate clearly, and build consensus if they want town business to keep moving. Mitrecic said the situation is also a chance for the council to show the public it can still work together and govern effectively during an unusual stretch.
For Ocean City, the immediate concern is less about whether government will grind to a halt and more about how much less flexibility the council has while it is short-handed. A seven-member body has more room to absorb absences, split votes, and disagreements. A five-member body does not. Meehan suggested exactly that when he said things work better with seven members, especially when someone cannot attend a meeting. That dynamic becomes more important in the spring, when town leaders are trying to keep momentum on seasonal operations without falling behind before summer crowds arrive.
The compressed election calendar adds another wrinkle. Meehan told WBOC he was not entirely comfortable with how quickly potential candidates now have to decide whether to run, noting that the timing may not work well for everyone. The town says anyone interested in one of the two open seats must file by 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 10. As of the town’s April 7 announcement, Peter Buas and Jeff Heiser had already filed.
Voting on May 8 will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center’s Dockside Exhibit Hall. Town officials say absentee ballot applications must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on May 7. Ocean City also plans to offer free bus service on election day, including ADA transportation for qualified riders with advance reservations, as part of the town’s effort to make voting more accessible.
For voters, the election now carries added weight for two reasons. It will decide who replaces DeLuca and Yates, but it will also determine how quickly the council can return to full strength after several weeks of governing with only five members. At a time when Ocean City is shifting from preparation to execution for the summer season, town leaders are projecting confidence that business will continue. At the same time, they are openly acknowledging that the council operates more smoothly, and with fewer risks of disruption, when all seven seats are occupied.