Notes his leadership style, getting input from stakeholders
Editor’s note: The Ocean City Sentinel is running profiles of the candidates for Ocean City Council in the May 14 election. Incumbent Third Ward Councilman Jody Levchuk is facing a challenge from Amie Vaules.
OCEAN CITY — Jody Levchuk said he knows the inner workings of the community, is easily accessible and has a leadership style that encourages input, honed from his years as a boardwalk businessman. He is running for re-election to his Third Ward seat in the Ocean City Council election May 14.
“My business is here, my children are here, basically my entire livelihood is here,” he said. “I think that background right there sets me up to be able to apply myself to my volunteer positions and my elected position on City Council. It brings me a lot of knowledge I need — the inner workings of the community. It lends itself well to the job I have to do as a councilman.”
Levchuk said he has always been madly in love with Ocean City, having spent every summer of his life here enjoying the island and working at his family business, JiLLy’s, before moving to the island full-time 10 years ago.
Because he has been in other shore points through the family business and has seen them from a visitor’s perspective and a business perspective, he knew Ocean City was at the top of his list.
With two young children, Levchuk said it was a no-brainer to move his family to the island.
It allowed him to grow his business “exponentially” to become “one of the most recognized brands in Ocean City,” and be front and center with his children. (Before he moved here full time, he lived here summers working at his business.)
“They go to school three blocks away. I go to work 10 blocks away. It’s a beautiful thing,” he said.
He points to his leadership style and cites as evidence his workforce of more than 100 people.
“It says a lot about leadership when I’m able to maintain a good, healthy staff all the time. I hear from others saying they can’t get enough people to work or they’re not good. I’m the exact opposite. I like to brag how great my staff is because I have a unique leadership style. I like to ask questions. I like to get input.
“JiLLy’s was created not just from family, but people who work there,” he said. “That right there is no different than how I lead in my City Council position.”
That involves going door- to-door to talk to constituents and reaching out to other business leaders or council members to ask for their positions.
“I’m independent. I (put together) those thoughts and come up with what I think is best for Ocean City,” Levchuk said, adding he likes to talk to stakeholders when issues come up on council agendas.
“I don’t have all the answers. I like hearing from everyday people. They’re the ones we have to please. They’re the ones I want to hear from most,” he said.
Pressing issues
“The biggest issue is maintaining the brand of our town,” Levchuk said. “I’m very sensitive to it. I could live in any town that I want to. I choose to be in Ocean City. I’m here for a reason. We don’t have alcohol. We don’t have bars. We have safety. We have great departments — fire, police.”
That said, when the state changed rules limiting how police could enforce laws with teenagers, “our town suffered tremendously from it.”
“When you’ve got thousands of kids coming and literally destroying the brand of our town, making people uncomfortable going to our most prized places, boardwalk and beach — our core customers and the residents who live here. That was the most pressing issue we have had in the last four years, those popup beach parties and these teenagers completely taking over the town and causing chaos.
“Having 999 calls for service on Memorial Day weekend in 2023 is ridiculous.”
Because he runs multiple family businesses on the boardwalk, he saw everything firsthand and felt the need to hire armed security to make his staff feel safe.
“Thank God we got a handle on it just in time, was able to solve it, and Ocean City went right back to being America’s Greatest Family Resort,” he said.
Made in error
Levchuk, near the end of his first term in office, wasn’t on council when the city decided to take the Klause and Flood properties by eminent domain, a process he believes should be extremely limited.
Although he is glad the city now owns the big parcel between Palmer Field and the Ocean City Community Center, bordered by Haven and Simpson avenues, believing it is better than being developed, he has “a big problem with government overreach.”
“If a government is going to take over someone’s property, especially one that’s been in the family … there should be a public emergency or a really good, good reason,” he said. “Just because you don’t like a project someone has planned, I don’t think that causes an emergency.”
In addition, he wishes the city had been more forceful early in its opposition to offshore wind farms.
Spending too much
“Anybody who says we’re not spending too much on anything either isn’t looking at the budget or doesn’t care,” he said. “There is always going to be something no matter whether it’s a town or a business. That will always be the case.”
Everything is overpriced, he said, particularly labor, which makes up the largest portion of the municipal budget. He said those aspects are out of council’s control because there are minimum standard wages and benefits packages.
“Those are expenses that aren’t controlled by us,” Levchuk said, pointing out, “If you want all the goods and services and benefits we have for living in this town, those expenses have to stay there.”
Spending too little
Levchuk believes more should be spent figuring out the parking problems throughout the city, an issue he has championed his entire time on council.
“The problem is throughout town: In our neighborhoods, up at the boardwalk, at the beach and downtown,” he said.
He said he did a survey that got more than 2,500 people responding, 600 of whom identified as locals. The rest were second homeowners and tourists.
The results were 85 percent would visit the boardwalk and downtown more if parking were not an issue. Respondents also said parking is an issue year-round in the downtown and in their neighborhoods.
He believes a parking structure in the center of town would be a wise investment and there needs to be a better effort to organize existing parking. He noted that last part may be coming to fruition through efforts of the administration.
Why he’s the best choice
“No. 1 is that I’m an independent person. I’m going to listen to you, I’m going to take your call, I’m going to hear you. My vote is always going to be based on what is right for the town, not on who’s sponsoring or endorsing my candidacy. That’s the number one thing that makes me the best,” he said.
No. 2 is his experience. He said after nearly four years in office he has hit his stride after learning municipal government, how laws are made, budgets are passed, and how to work with those whose political visions differ from his.
“I know how to represent the community with enthusiasm, not with the feeling, ‘Someone’s bothering me again today.’ That’s a horrible attitude a lot of politicians have,” he said. “When someone is calling me, there’s nobody happier to take your call than me. Getting to me is easier than most people think. It’s my accessibility. That’s what makes me the best.”
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
City Council Candidate Forum April 29
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. The public is invited to submit questions for consideration via email at oceancitysentinel@comcast.net. The forum is free to attend.