By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Donna Moore, an Ocean City resident, regularly attends City Council meetings and speaks to the governing body frequently about her environmental concerns.
Handwritten signs are often displayed by her warning about the dangers of using landscaping chemicals to harm marine life and humans. She was instrumental in the decision of the city to switch to organic, chemical-free landscaping on public grounds last year.
Moore is a strong environmental advocate and now wants to be a Council Member. Moore filed her nomination petitions Friday for the May 10, municipal election. Three at-large Council seats are up for grabs.
Moore stated that her campaign will be focused on local residents’ concerns, the protection of the environment, reducing flooding problems in the city, and fiscal responsibility with taxpayer money.
She said that my campaign for at large Council encourages listening and addressing the concerns of year-round residents about the quality life in their neighborhoods.
She also believes Ocean City should conduct a review on its master plan. This comprehensive guide will include information about local planning and zoning regulations.
She said that change is inevitable and she would like to hear residents’ concerns about the impact of redevelopment on their neighborhoods.
She stated, “I see the necessity to revisit our masterplan to ascertain whether it effectively benefits islands quality of living for our residents.”
Moore, 68 years old, lives on Ocean Avenue. She has been an Ocean City resident since 1978. She is now retired and used to be an art teacher at Ocean City Arts Center, as well as a circulation assistant at Ocean City Free Public Library.
She previously served on the Ocean Citys Environmental Commission as well as the Shade Tree Commission and Zoning Board. She is an environmental advocate who helped persuade the Mayor Jay Gillians administration to stop using chemical pesticides in public areas and switch to organic landscaping to help protect residents.
Her campaign slogan is “For Our People and the Environment”.
She said she was concerned about the way Ocean City, a barrier-island, is affecting marine ecosystems and the environment on a greater scale.
(Im), working to preserve our neighbourhoods, the quality and environment of our lives, she stated in her campaign literature.
Moore is currently a member in good standing of the Ocean City Flooding Committee, and Fairness In Taxes. Moore said that her membership in both groups reflects her focus on protecting the city against flooding and monitoring how taxpayer money is being spent.
In the interview, she stated that she was a long-time member of FIT and is now aware of the need for fiscal responsibility to our taxpayers.
Moore will not be seeking a Council seat for the first time. Moore ran in the November First Ward Council race but lost to Terry Crowley Jr.
She said, “I learned to listen and understand the concerns of our residents. I also understood how I could possibly address the residents needs as an At-large Council member representing the whole island.”
In May’s election, incumbent at-large Council members Karen Bergman, Pete Madden, and former First Ward Councilman Michael DeVlieger are also running. John Tony Polcini is a political newcomer. Each member of the Council serves a four-year term.
Rotondi will turn his nominating petition in on Monday. Rotondi wants to move from Second Ward to an at large Council seat.
Monday, May 10, 2014 at 4 pm is the deadline for petition nominations for the nonpartisan municipal elections. Melissa Rasner, City Clerk, stated that candidates must collect at most 97 valid signatures for their petitions to reflect the required 1 percent of 9,654 registered voters in the city.
The election will also include Ocean City mayoral race, in which Jay Gillian (mayor) and Keith Hartzell (at-large councilman) will be competing. Hartzell will resign from Council in order to run as mayor.
Hartzell as well as Gillian have filed their nominating papers. Rasner said that Michael Mercurio (a potential mayoral candidate) has also filed his nomination petitions but has not yet submitted them to the City Clerks Office.
