commentary by Joe Reynolds

Ocean Pines Association members left no doubt as to their preference in a decision on the yes/no referendum question on a proposed new $4.3 million Yacht Club. The YES votes were 3,432, while the NO votes came in at only 1,641. The Yacht Club referendum vote was certainly not the Bush v Gore cliffhanger many people expected. It was surprisingly more comparable to Reagan's romp over Mondale in 1984.

Just after the vote results were announced during a board meeting on Friday afternoon, an ebullient OPA president Tom Terry said, "If anyone tells you this lopsided win was expected, they are lying."

The vote was historic in a number of ways, including the largest expenditure ever approved by association members and the depth of support, with about 68% of respondents voting YES. If there was any disheartening news in the result, it was that nearly 10% of association members were ineligible to vote, primarily due to unpaid assessments.

While the immediate impact of the vote insures plans for the new Yacht Club will now move forward, the vote is also a strong affirmation of overall support for the OPA Board of Directors and General Manager Bob Thompson. Make no mistake about it - the announcement and results of this vote represent a watershed moment in the history of Ocean Pines politics.

Several months ago the OPA Board of Directors unanimously supported the move to build a new Yacht Club, and Bob Thompson put his heart and soul into promoting and encouraging a YES vote. A NO vote would have been devastating politically for Thompson and the Board of Directors. The results must be extremely gratifying for all of them.

Three individuals deserve special mention. The already mentioned Bob Thompson, former board member Pete Gomsak, and association member Ted Moroney. Thompson's role was the most visible. He was the public face of the process from beginning to end - the ever positive personality stressing the need for a new Yacht Club; the Johnny Appleseed of Ocean Pines sowing the seeds of a YES vote. Pete Gomsak deserves special mention due to his unwavering support for something called the Five-Year Plan, an in-place funding mechanism intended to provide the assessment dollars needed to replace the Yacht Club and fund other substantial projects related to aging infrastructure in Ocean Pines. Ted Moroney, experienced in contracting, devoted innumerable hours to the overall project over a period of years.

Much must be done before the doors open on a new Yacht Club, but OPA management can now move in that direction knowing it has not just the support of association members, but overwhelming support.