Non-resident voting, at large seats discussed

Non-resident voting was a hot topic at the town council workshop in Ocean View on Tuesday, June 30. Mayor Gordon Wood said it was the single most important issue for the town, and Councilman Richard Nippes laid out his reasons for wanting the change.

The proposed amendment, as it reads now, is in two parts: (1) it would allow non-resident property owners and business entities the right to vote in all town general elections; and, (2) it would eliminate election districts and provide that all council members would run at large.

Nippes said now is the time for a change like this, and he talked of the reasons non-resident voting should be considered.

“People say that Bear Trap put me up to this. That is not true. It came from my own concerns in Briarcliffe,” said Nippes, who lives in Briarcliffe. “Now, we are about 20 percent non-resident and they are highly educated people that are very interested in this town. They ought to have a say for the amount of money they contribute to this town.”

He then went on talk about the importance of communities such as Bear Trap and their ability to do many things without the town’s help.

“Did we bring them in for revenue or because we sincerely wanted them to be neighbors?” he asked. “Does Bear Trap need us?” he asked, stating that they have their own sewer and water but do depend on the town for electricity and police coverage. He also said they could easily hire their own security.

“For small communities like Briarcliffe, the street repair the town offers is a major plus,” he added.

“One third of our income comes from taxes and rental income,” he noted. “Do we need Bear Trap? If we didn’t have that, we would have to eliminate staff or significantly raise taxes to keep the status quo.”

He then went on to say that Bear Trap has restaurants and a golf course and has been generous with use of the banquet room for the Historical Society, and they “deserve some recognition.”

Nippes said he wanted to “rectify an injustice” of taxation without representation and talked about suffrage as it has pertained to women, African Americans, Native Americans and young people.

“It used to be only white, male property owners… Voting is a very, very important issue, and this will weather any controversy.”

Councilman Robert Lawless asked if a development could succeed from the town. Town Solicitor Dennis Schrader said that, with council consent, a referendum and the approval of the state General Assembly, that it is possible, but rare. He spoke of Lord Baltimore Elementary’s partial de-annexation from Millville, so the property could become part of the Town of Ocean View, a process that was started some years ago.

“So, we are not in imminent danger of Bear Trap leaving town?” asked Lawless, laughing.

“I’m not going there,” replied Schrader with a laugh of his own.

Wood offered that this is not an issue of “Bear Trap versus Ocean View,” and said “if it is cast that way, there is more people in the rest of the town than there are in Bear Trap.”

He asked if anyone in the audience for the Tuesday workshop was a non-resident property owner. Former Councilman Roy Thomas, who lives full-time in Bear Trap, answered that he was there “representing 700 homeowners.”

“There’s a lot of empty seats out there,” countered Wood.

After much discussion, Councilman Perry Mitchell asked if the two issues – voting qualifications and the elimination of districts – could be separated into two different ordinances. Schrader said he didn’t see a problem with doing that and added that, before it is all said and done, more than two issues might come out of it.

Nippes said he wanted to hear both sides of the argument and wanted to allow everyone to have a chance to get their opinion known. The council will consider the issue again in a special meeting on Tuesday, July 28. It is the only item on the agenda for that meeting.