She cites education, experience and proven track record as voice of people
Editor’s note: The Ocean City Sentinel is running profiles of the candidates for Ocean City Council in the May 14 election. Cecelia Gallelli-Keyes is challenging incumbent Dave Winslow for the Fourth Ward seat. Profiles of the other two races, for the Second and Third Wards, will be published next week.
OCEAN CITY — Cecelia Gallelli-Keyes would bring her education, experience in business, service on the Ocean City Board of Education along with a fresh perspective — and a woman’s perspective — to Ocean City Council’s Fourth Ward seat in the May 14 election.
With degrees in accounting and business law and minors in hospitality and real estate, Gallelli-Keyes said she worked in administrative departments at hospitals and Temple University before spending 33 years with the family business, The Tahiti Inn in Ocean City, before it was sold. (She also ran a moving company in New Jersey for five years, a woman managing 20 men.)
Now that she’s no longer a business owner, she believes she can be a neutral voice on City Council, making decisions about what is good for the ward and city as a whole, not for what benefits her own interests.
“I’m not a yes person. My reputation speaks for itself. I’m going to fight for the people, my constituents,” she said, adding that she is a “big listener.”
“I hope I can keep the council decisive and diverse. I work collaboratively because I have that experience as well. I know how to give up something to get something,” she said.
As a single mother with two sons, seemingly that taught her to be “strong, decisive and firm,” she began her civic work with the Ocean City Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and, she said, expanded it from the younger grades to encompass the high school as well.
During that time she said the PTA raised as much as $85,000 a year, pumping a lot of money into the district. The PTA also created an array of events for students and families during the winter.
“I had a great board and tons of families assisting me,” she said.
That led to her appointment to the Ocean City Board of Education; she ended up spending 11 years on the board. Gallelli-Keyes said she pushed to start School Choice, working with then-superintendent of schools Dr. Kathleen Taylor. School Choice allowed the district to retain teachers and keep class sizes smaller by bringing students in from outside the district.
“I know a lot of families who have been there forever, entrenched in Ocean City history, didn’t really like opening up our doors to surrounding areas for other children to come in, but it was a way for us not to lose what we built and keep the education top-notch,” she said.
Pressing issues
Gallelli-Keyes said the most pressing issue facing the resort is wind farms. Danish company Ørsted proposed two wind farms off the coast of Cape May and Atlantic counties, but put those plans on indefinite hold, citing higher interest rates and supply chain issues (but not major citizen opposition).
Other issues are flooding in Merion Park, a topic she said she would research if elected; and crime, including cars being stolen in her neighborhood, which prompts her to ask for more police patrolling the Fourth Ward in the south end of the island.
‘They’re targeting us because it’s so dead; we need more police presence.”
Gallelli-Keyes wants better transportation for senior citizens. She said they appreciate the jitneys to get to the boardwalk and the senior center, but it would help if transportation were available for more routine things such as food shopping, getting medicine and visiting doctors.
She said residents of the ward have also told her they want more transparency, opening up city meetings to Zoom, and that young families would like more activities for their children beyond recreation sports.
She also would like to see more business development in the south end, to have the city concentrate on the economy and investment in that part of the city.
Bad decisions
Asked about decisions made by council that she believes were made in error, she cited the salary hike for council and the mayor.
“Through the years I’ve taken a look at the people who get on council. Everybody has tons of money who gets put on there. Do they really need another $10,000 that the taxpayers have to fork out? Absolutely not,” she said.
“I was on the school board for 11 years and I didn’t get paid a dime. I did it because I wanted to do it, my heart was in it, I believed in the kids — not because of money. I pledge that every month if I get elected I will donate a portion of my salary to non-profit organizations in my ward or that are local.”
In addition, she believes in term limits.
“It’s the same people, a hundred years they’re there. We need fresh minds, we need to change our thinking because our lives change, things on the island change, everything changes, and our council people need to change with new ideas and new perspectives,” she said.
Gallelli-Keyes added a promise not to make promises.
“This may sound arrogant, but I’m not promising nothing. I learned that on the school board. I’m only one person. I’m only one voice. … I can’t promise you nothing. I can promise I’ll give you my best, that I’m going to listen to what you have to say and I’ll bring it to their attention. And I’ll try to convince my other council people to help to get to that.”
Spending too much
Asked if the city was spending too much in any certain area, she cited those pertaining just to tourism.
“They have to concentrate on all areas of the city. We’re forgetting about our year-round families. We want our children to bring their families back, to bring their ideas back, to start businesses here in our town. I feel we concentrate too much on tourism.”
Spending too little
Asked where the city was spending too little, she laughed. “The rest of the city!”
She also believes year-round families should get two free beach tags each season. And that military members should get more than one beach tag because they are bringing their families, who have had to sacrifice just as much.
Why she’s the best choice
“I love being a voice for our community. I’m a citizen, not a politician. I never was. I’m someone that people can come to,” Gallelli-Keyes said. “When I was on school board, they would come to me more as a friend, a neighbor, a confidante.
“I don’t act like a public official. I have a passion for public service. I love helping senior citizens and have the power to use my voice for the good of Ocean City and I have a proven track record.
“I’m going to do my work, look at what’s in front of me, the facts, get opinions by talking to my constituents, and then make the best decisions.”
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
The Sentinel is sponsoring a Candidate Forum from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, April 29, at the Hughes Performing Arts Center auditorium at Ocean City High School. To submit a question for consideration, send an email to oceancitysentinel@comcast.net