OCTOBER 27, 2022
FREE
BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
SUBMITTED PHOTO/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
FUNDRAISER
The Ocean Pines Pickleball Club raised more than $17,600 for the American Cancer Society during the fifth annual Pickleball Pink Ribbon Classic, held Oct. 7 at the Ocean Pines Racquet Center. Nearly 130 players participated. See story on page 19.
OPA board tables audit of vote Tax credit Awaits Election Committee findings before committing thousands to auditing firm By Jack Chavez Staff Writer (Oct. 27, 2022) The Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors voted on Oct. 20 to table consideration of a forensic audit of the 2022 board elections, pending the results of a charging document to the Elections Committee and conferring with CPA firm Gross Mendelsohn. The charging document will direct the committee to dig up all the information it can. The board’s rationale is that Gross Mendelsohn could show the board what they can produce, and the board can decide if the money they’d need to spend there is worth it,
considering whatever the five-person volunteer committee can provide. The committee has until Dec. 1 to report back to the board. The scope of the Frank Daly work includes determining how ballots were miscounted, what role test ballots played, were any actions taken by association or committee members that should be punished in the future and hoq to prevent such a miscalculation from occurring again. Director Frank Daly led the charge for going straight to a forensic audit, arguing that the quality such a move would return would make it worth what could end up being a $15,000 or $20,000 expenditure.
“I mean, look — in any election in the United States of America, (the miscount would be) a huge red flag and a huge problem that needs (to be) addressed,” Daly said. While no director opposed an audit, questions quickly arose concerning whether it’d be wiser to wait until other measures are exhausted before committing association money to investigate its own mistakes. “I would like to see us have things in place to address (everyone’s) concerns and we follow our bylaws and resolutions for the process,” director Monica Rakowski said. Director Rick Farr endorsed the capabilities of a forensic auditor but also gave an endorsement to the new committee. “I believe that we have an ElecSee AUDIT Page 3
reduction reversed Mayor, council learn impact on revenue far too much By Jack Chavez Staff Writer (Oct. 27, 2022) In a last-minute pivot, the Berlin mayor and Town Council reversed course on Tuesday to keep the homestead tax rate at 5 percent, just a day after they unanimously agreed to lower it to 3 percent for FY2023. The town’s leadership decided to lower the percentage by two points while under the assumption that it would take away less than $1,000 See TAX Page 3
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