Dramatic exit marks Pines budget meeting (Feb. 12, 2015)

Down two directors at the beginning of the meeting and three at the end, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors on Saturday soldiered on during an impassioned budget session that saw one director walk out in frustration.

Still, progress was made as the board met for the first time to suggest specific changes to General Manager Bob Thompson’s proposed $10.9 million fiscal year 2016 budget.

Treasurer Jack Collins and Director Bill Cordwell were out of town during the meeting, and the remaining five directors reviewed dozens of alterations.

“The most rationales to go down were [Vice President] Marty’s [Clarke], along with some of mine and some of [Parliamentarian] Tom’s [Terry]” Board President Dave Stevens said. “We’re still at, I wouldn’t say in impasse, but we’re still considering some things.”

Terry did say that the board “got a lot of things settled.”

“I think we stayed focused on maintaining the capital reserves that this organization needs,” he said. “I’m glad we did that. That’s the essence of it as far as I’m concerned.”

Vice President Marty Clarke proposed the board drastically lower assessments by adding $314,068 for road depreciation and $350,000 of golf drainage, among other things, and then remove the so-called “five-year plan,” essentially cutting $1 million from the budget.
Thompson’s projected budget sees the assessment increasing $25 over the previous year to $934. Under Clarke’s plan, that number drops to $827.65.

The additions appeared to stick, but the subtraction became a sticking point. Stevens countered by suggesting the board eliminate the five-year plan, in name, “now and forever,” and rechristen it “legacy assets.”

“I have a feeling that the five-year plan was never a five-year plan, because it was an unending plan to collect money,” he said, adding that the original purpose of the funding tool was to “play catch-up” on a number of facilities in the community that needed to be repaired or replaced.
“All of that stuff was never really defined and it kind of went as we went along,” Stevens said.
Clarke, meanwhile, balked at the suggestion, cutting Stevens off as he began to discuss a possible end date for the five-year plan.

“Can I tell you my end date?” he said. “My end date is right now. I’m announcing to the press that I’m not running [for reelection].”

“Do whatever you need to do,” Stevens said during the meeting.

“I’ll do what makes me happy and it sure isn’t doing stupid budgets,” Clarke said.
Clarke packed his things and walked out of the meeting, while the four remaining directors continued the discussion.

After the meeting Clarke said, simply, “I got sick of it.”

“It’s the same s—- over and over and over and over,” he said. “If [Director] Sharyn [O’Hare] asks a question once, she asks it 30 times. I feel like I’m in a fourth-grade class talking about sex. It’s just unbelievable.

I was at that meeting. Your tune has not changed much. 

Dramatic exit marks Pines budget meeting - Worcester County News Bayside Gazette (baysideoc.com)