OCEAN CITY – In a press release sent Monday afternoon, Mayor Jay Gillian’s campaign noted his opponent has voted with him almost exclusively throughout the time both have been in office.
Gillian, who has been serving as mayor since 2010, is seeking a fourth term in office in the May 10 election. His challenger is at-large City Councilman Keith Hartzell, who has been in office for almost four full terms, including three that coincide with Gillian.
Hartzell decided not to seek re-election to a fifth term, opting instead to challenge Gillian for mayor.
The press release noted that during Gillian’s tenure, “he has had no bigger supporter for his initiatives than Councilman Keith Hartzell.
“During this period Hartzell has cast almost 4,600 votes on resolutions or ordinances. How many times has he voted ‘no’ during this period? Just eight (8)! In other words, Councilman Keith Hartzell has voted to approve and support Mayor Gillian’s agenda over 99 percent of the time.
“Even a few of his no votes were on items related to special circumstances, such as the ill-fated BYOB initiative, when the entire City Council had to vote no in order for the proposal to be placed before the voters.
“Now, after nearly 12 years of support for virtually every single initiative that Mayor Jay Gillian has brought forward, Keith Hartzell is saying that Ocean City wants change,” the release stated.
In an interview in the Sentinel’s March 9 edition discussing his candidacy, Hartzell said that he had been going door-to-door in Ocean City since June and that voters told them they wanted change.
“I think the biggest thing they say is ‘change.’ I was surprised by that,” Hartzell said. “I didn’t really know what they were going to say. I think people feel disconnected from the administration and a lot of people said when they call, they don’t get an answer and I’m very good at responding.”
Gillian’s press release pointed out in Ocean City’s mayor-council form of government, the mayor and his administration are responsible for the overwhelming majority of items placed on the City Council’s agenda for their approval. That includes the municipal budget, all major purchases, projects, labor contracts, zoning ordinances, bond ordinances, and every single payment to vendors or contractors.
“There’s no valid reason to support an undefined broad concept of ‘change’ from a candidate that has supported virtually every initiative and action” Gillian put forward, the release noted.
Hartzell has said the main reasons he is running for mayor is the belief “the town is feeling like it is slipping away from us a little bit,” and that he doesn’t want to see condos or hotels on the boardwalk (see related story, page A2), and he doesn’t want to accept sewage from Upper Township that could lead to development along Roosevelt Boulevard.
The election for mayor and three at-large City Council seats is May 10.