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R C Edition OCEAN PINES • WEST OCEAN CITY • BERLIN MD
February 1, 2026
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER
Volume 3, Issue 22
Ocean Pines board approves fiscal year 2026-27 budget after months of development, review and public input By Sherrie Clifford ROC Edition Publisher The Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors approved the fiscal year 2026–27 budget at its most recent regular board meeting, concluding a months-long process that included department-level planning, committee review, board deliberation and a public Budget Town Hall. The budget process was directed by General Manager John Viola and carried out by the association’s senior leadership team in coordination with department heads, committee volunteers and the board of directors. Throughout the town hall presentation, Viola
emphasized that the adopted budget reflected sustained planning and coordination across multiple areas of operation rather than decisions made in isolation. Viola opened the Jan. 15 Budget Town Hall by outlining the formal requirements governing the association’s budget process. Under Ocean Pines Association bylaws, the general manager is required to prepare and submit a proposed annual budget to the board of directors no fewer than 90 days prior to the start of the fiscal year. The board is then required to approve a final budget at least 45 days before the fiscal year begins. “We did that,” Viola said in reference to the bylaw timeline. “And probably one of the earliest
ROC Edition • Sherrie Clifford, Publisher
OPA Board of Directors approves FY26-27 budget well ahead of schedule.
times that it was completed and presented.” According to Viola, the initial proposed budget was publicly posted on Dec. 16, followed by a revised version on Jan. 9 that identified and explained changes
made after early review. A Budget and Finance Committee presentation was held Dec. 18, with materials and video made available on the association’s website. The board of directors conducted its own
See BUDGET APPROVED page 2
ROC Edition secures new printer after Dover facility closure affects local papers By Sherrie Clifford ROC Edition Publisher When local newspapers printing at the Delaware Printing Company were given approximately 30 days’ notice that printing operations would cease, the impact rippled quickly across the Eastern Shore. Daily, weekly and monthly publications were suddenly forced to reassess long-standing production systems, vendor relationships and internal workflows under a compressed timeline. For ROC Edition, the notice arrived just four months into its
print launch. While the timeline was tight, the paper moved quickly to secure a new printer and ensure readers and advertisers would experience no disruption. ROC Edition successfully transitioned its printing operations to Adams Publishing Group in Easton, Md. Paper was ordered, delivered and staged on schedule, allowing the Feb. 1, 2026 edition to be printed and distributed during the final week of January without interruption. Distribution locations and availability remained unchanged.
See NEW PRINTER page 3
ROC Edition • Sherrie Clifford, Publisher
ROC Edition moves printing operations to Adams Publishing Group, following the closure of Delaware Printing Company.