Serving fourth term on Ocean City Council, he says it’s time for new leadership
Editor’s note: This story has been updated.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY – Keith Hartzell, who has served on Ocean City Council since 2006, made it official on Monday that he will be running for mayor in the May 2022 election.
There has been speculation for months that he would challenge incumbent Mayor Jay Gillian as relations between the administration and some members of council, including Hartzell, became increasingly combative since late 2020.
The councilman, who is finishing his fourth term, sent out a formal press release announcing his candidacy.
The release said he “believes the time has come for leadership more in touch with the people of Ocean City.”
“I set out on a listening tour around Ocean City over the course of the past few months, going door-to-door and hearing from our constituents,” Hartzell said in the release. “There is overwhelming interest in new and positive leadership with a clear vision for the future of our great town. With great support and encouragement from friends and residents, I wanted to end all speculation and announce publicly my intention to run for mayor.”
Gillian responded to the announcement late Monday, saying he has been disappointed in Hartzell’s change in his approach to city government after supporting his initiatives over the last 11 years.
Gillian has served for three terms as mayor and said he plans to run for a fourth term. Gillian defeated Michael Hinchman in the 2010 election for the open seat to replace Sal Perillo, who served one term and did not seek re-election.
In 2014, Gillian defeated challenger Ed Price and in 2018 Gillian defeated former Ocean City councilman John Flood by a nearly 2-1 margin, earning 2,023 votes to Flood’s 1,163.
Hartzell was first elected to Ocean City Council in 2006 and has been re-elected three times to his at-large seat. He earned 2,431 votes in that 2018 election, but neither he nor incumbents Pete Madden and Karen Bergman faced any challengers that year.
“The election is less than 34 weeks away and I believe it is time to start talking to the voters about finally solving problems,” Hartzell wrote in the release. “It’s time to start talking about how we aggressively resolve our flooding problems, about what we do about windmills on our horizon, about rejecting an overpriced and unnecessary public safety building but instead building the necessary police station to support and properly equip our men and women in blue, about how we engage in smart, controlled development, and how we keep our taxes down and our quality of life issues on the front burner so our Ocean City residents further benefit from a safe, prosperous, and family-friendly resort community.”
Hartzell, 65, is a regional sales manager for Von Drehle Corporation (paper products) and local businessman who owns various rental retail properties on Asbury Avenue, West Avenue and Ninth Street. He has been an Ocean City resident since 1986.
“I’m not surprised by Keith’s announcement,” Gillian wrote. “It’s been no secret he’s been knocking on doors during a pandemic and issuing poorly timed and unproductive statements, such has his recent nonsense about flooding issues on the same day that the remnants of a hurricane threatened us.
“What I have been surprised and disappointed about has been the change in Keith’s approach to city business in recent months,” Gillian continued. “For 11 years during my time as mayor Keith has supported virtually everything I’ve brought forward. I’ve worked successfully in partnership with all members of City Council and the community over the years and much has been accomplished as a result. We got away from the constant in-fighting and bickering that held our community back in previous years. Our residents, property owners and visitors have recognized and appreciated our efforts. They clearly never wanted and don’t want to return to the unproductive days of arguing and endless debate and posturing by their elected officials.”
Gillian said he is “focused on the issues important to our community and continuing the accomplishments we all can be proud of.”
In a bio provided with his press release, Hartzell said he has been a president of Main Street Ocean City, Ocean City Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion posts and member of Ocean City Exchange Club, a board member with Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce and Business and Neighborhood Development (BAND). He has been honored as the Ocean City Citizen of the Year in 2005 as well as receiving the Martin Luther King Community Service Award in 2007. During his council service, he has served as council president.
“We are announcing now and getting back on the streets to keep listening to the people of Ocean City,” Hartzell wrote in the release. “In the New Year we will hold a kick-Off rally with our friends and volunteers and building a campaign that Ocean City will be proud of. A campaign of problem solving on behalf of our taxpayers needs over politics and a select group, and speaking up about projects and policy to ensure the best business practices are in place to protect our community and fiscal health.”