OCEAN CITY – In a drawing Friday for ballot positions in the May 10 municipal election, Keith Hartzell got top spot in the Ocean City mayor’s race against incumbent Jay Gillian and Tom Rotondi got the top spot among the six candidates for City Council.
The drawing is done to give all candidates equal chance at their position on the ballot.
Hartzell, finishing his fourth term as an at-large councilman, is running on the ballot slogan, “Preserving Our Town Securing Our Future.”
Gillian, who is finishing his third term as mayor and is running for a fourth, has the slogan, “Unity in The Community.”
A third person who took out nominating papers did not return them, leaving Hartzell and Gillian as the two candidates for mayor.
Rotondi has the top spot on the ballot for council, in which three at-large seats are up for grabs. His slogan is “Putting Ocean City’s Families First.” He is the incumbent Second Ward councilman in the middle of his first term in office. Even if not elected to an at-large seat, he would continue to serve the Second Ward.
In second position is Karen Bergman, an incumbent at-large councilwoman who is finishing her second term in office. Her slogan is “A Positive Common Sense Approach.”
In the third spot is John A. “Tony P” Polcini, a newcomer to politics. His slogan is “Families First Committed to My Community.”
In the fourth position is former First Ward councilman Michael DeVlieger. He resigned from office in August while early in his third term, citing a family crisis, but said that has been resolved and he wants to return to office. DeVlieger’s slogan is “Mike DeVlieger Cares About Ocean City.”
In fifth position is Pete Madden, the other incumbent at-large council member. He is seeking a third term in office. His slogan is “Community First Community Forward.”
In the sixth position is Donna Moore. She ran unsuccessfully for First Ward in a special election in November. The ballot slogan for Moore, who regularly speaks during public comment at council meetings, is “For Our People and the Environment.”
There are three council seats open for the election. Hartzell decided to run for mayor instead of seeking another at-large term. All the terms are for four years.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10. The election is non-partisan.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff