Current, former ward councilmen may face incumbents Madden and Bergman
OCEAN CITY – Among those who have picked up petitions required to get on the ballot to run for Ocean City Council’s three at-large seats on May 10 are a councilman who resigned from his First Ward seat in August, the serving Second Ward councilman, two of the three incumbents and two others.
The two serving at-large council members, Peter Madden and Karen Bergman, are running for re-election to their seats. They appeared Sunday at Mayor Jay Gillian’s formal announcement that he is running for a fourth consecutive term.
The third at-large councilman, Keith Hartzell, announced in September he isn’t running for re-election, but instead running against Jay Gillian for mayor.
Michael DeVlieger was the long-serving First Ward councilman. He quit the post in August, saying demands on his time had become too great and he wanted to spend more time with his family. Terrence Crowley Jr. was appointed to fill his First Ward seat and then was elected to it in the November election.
If DeVlieger gets the signatures and returns them by the deadline, Monday, March 6, that would put him in the race against his former colleagues, Bergman and Madden.
Second Ward Councilman Tomaso Rotondi, who isn’t halfway through his first term in office, has also taken out papers to run for an at-large spot, potentially putting him up against his colleagues for an at-large seat.
That would be a no-risk proposition for Rotondi. Even if he loses, he would retain his ward seat, but he could potentially oust one of the incumbents.
In a number of votes and issues over the past year, Bergman and Madden found themselves at odds with a council majority that included Rotondi and, while he was in office, DeVlieger. That majority also included Hartzell, Third Ward Councilman Jody Levchuk and Fourth Ward Councilman Bobby Barr, the council president.
In the May 10 election, the three candidates with the highest vote totals will win the at-large seats.
Two others also have taken out petitions – Donna Moore, who ran for the First Ward seat against Crowley in November, and John A. “Tony” Polcini.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff