Hi Dick. Thanks for your kind words, and for your service on the Board.

I've been around, mostly fishing.

I agree that the Board is doing a good job, but perhaps a better job could be done in holding down costs. There is always room for improvement. I recall when Andy Bosco was on the Board he told me once of his efforts to limit spending and another board member, retired from government employment, said something to the effect that, "if we need more money, we just raise the taxes."

Interesting you mentioned Andy and my efforts to get a good chunk of money returned to Ocean Pines rate payers. You may not recall, but at the time the Board of Directors was very opposed to our efforts. I felt the Board should have been doing what Andy and I did. $1 million dollars of illegally collected taxes in a community our size is nothing to gloss over. Good people do not always do the right thing. Too often egos get in the way. We are all guilty of that, to one extent or another, but politicians seem especially susceptible.

I was speaking with a fellow up the street the other day and he was complaining about what he perceived as a revolving door at our police department. He felt we spend a lot of money and effort training young men as police offers and they then leave for better jobs after a short time. He felt there should be some sort of contractual agreement that prevents someone we train from seeking employment as a police officer for some period of time after going to work for Ocean Pines.

I have no idea as to OPA policies in this regard, and am just passing along what my neighbor was telling me.

I'll post a followup with a specific cost savings suggestion regarding roads, perhaps minor but everything adds up.