Councilman Joe Mitrecic, right, is
pictured at his announcement with
his son, Jake; daughter, Madi; and
wife, Sheryl.
Photo by Joanne Shriner
OCEAN CITY Ocean City
Councilman Joe Mitrecic announc-
ed Tuesday morning his intentions
to seek the resort's seat on the Wor-
cester County Commission.
"Fourteen years ago, I was a citi-
zen of Ocean City, and like most
that followed topics in the paper I
came to the City Council and com-
plained when I had a problem or
when something affected me direct-
ly," said Mitrecic, 52.
It wasn't until he contacted Sen.
Jim Mathias, who was mayor of
Ocean City at the time, of a concern
and didn't receive the response he
expected that he began thinking a-
bout running for office.
"I thought I was going to get the
standard `you know what you're
right Joe, and we should have
thought about this,' but I didn't. He
told me he didn't see my name on
any list to become a board member.
He said, `I don't see you at any of
the meetings. You go home and sit
with your family and enjoy your life
but these guys are out there putting
their necks on the line to try to bet-
ter the city,'" Mitrecic recalled.
Fourteen years later, surrounded
by friends and family and after being
elected three times to the council,
Mitrecic stood on the stairs in the
lobby of Town Hall and announced
he will be running for County Com-
missioner in the upcoming election.
"We haven't been happy with the
rapport we have with the county for
a long time," Mitrecic said. "We
have a difference of opinions on a
lot of topics, so that little voice has
been in the back of my head saying
its time that somebody steps up,
puts their neck on the line and goes
to the county to try to better their
relationship with the city."
As a commissioner, Mitrecic said
he will be looking to achieve a tax
differential from the county for
Ocean City. A tax differential has
been an ongoing request of the
city's that the county has deliberat-
ed on in the past but has never fall-
en through.
"Every commissioner that repre-
sents outside of Ocean City is going
to do what is best for their commu-
nity, and a tax differential may or
may not be best. Do I want a long
drawn out legal battle? No, I would
like to have some consensus a-
mong each individual member. It is
Ocean City's right to not have to pay
for services that are not provided to
them," Mitrecic said.
Mitrecic said he will also work to
have a 911 first response within
Ocean City limits. Currently, 911 calls
from Ocean City come into Snow Hill
and then they are transferred back to
Ocean City's Public Safety Building
on 66th Street. The delay has been a
hot topic in the past but has been dor-
mant for 10 years.
"I know more than anybody that
seconds matter when their life is on
the line," said Mitrecic, who suffered
a heart attack last year.
Mitrecic also wants to open the
County Commission meetings to
the public through a video feed and
eventually have the meetings aired
on TV. If elected, Mitrecic plans to
appear before the Ocean City May-
or and Council on a quarterly basis
to report the actions of the county.
"It is about Ocean City being
treated fairly, it is about the north
end of the county being treated fair-
ly," he said. "The county operates
down there in their own little bubble
and unless you're there for the
meetings you have no idea what is
going on, and it is time that we know
what is going on. It is time that we
know the things they do that are
affecting our town and we know
when they're happening."
Mitrecic is looking forward to
serving Worcester County.
"I have proven over the years
here [Ocean City] I can work with
anybody that I sit next to. Again, I
am not going down there to cause
problems or fight. I am going down
there to work for the Town of Ocean
City and get a fair share," he said.
Mitrecic served two terms as a
city councilman before losing his
seat in the 2010 municipal election.
He regained his seat in November
of 2012. When he returned to the
council, current County Commissio-
ner Louise Guylas, who has been in
office since 1998, was having health
issues and debating her next term.
She confirmed last month she is not
seeking re-election.
"I began thinking about it and
talking about it with my family, and I
made a decision in the fall that I was
going to run," Mitrecic said.
If elected, Mitrecic will be switch-
ing roles in the middle of his council
term. No other candidates have for-
mally announced their intent to seek
the seat on the County Commission
at this time. The primary election is
set for this summer with the general
vote planned for November.
OC Councilman Outlines Reasons For Commissioner Run
Page 22
January 17, 2014
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