Ocean City Council candidate Keith Hartzell
Five candidates are running for three open seats on Ocean City Council in the May 13 municipal election.
The winners will serve four-year terms in at-large positions. City Council includes seven members — four elected from the city’s individual wards and three elected at-large by the entire Ocean City electorate.
Candidates are (in reverse alphabetical order):
Eric Sauder,
Pete Madden,
Mike Hyson, incumbent
Keith Hartzell and incumbent
Michael Allegretto.
The following includes biographical and platform information provided by the candidate and a brief profile — along with a favorite Ocean City memory (just for the fun of it).
BIO:
Age: 58
Education: Bachelor of Arts degree from Gordon College
No. of years lived in Ocean City: Bought first home here in 1986, lived here full-time since 1989.
Family: Mother, sister, niece and grand-niece
Occupation: Regional sales manager for von Drehle Corporation (paper products)
Public service: Two terms on City Council; former president of Main Street Ocean City; Ocean City Citizen of the Year (2005); member of Ocean City Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion posts and member of Ocean City Exchange Club; board member with Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce and Business and Neighborhood Development (BAND).
PLATFORM:
- Reduce Cost of Services: “Worked effectively to reduce overall labor force by 10 percent” without sacrificing level of service during his two terms.
- Increase Investment in Roads, Drainage, Infrastructure: “Was a driving force in doubling capital plan from $5 million to $10 million annually.”
- Learn From Community and Others: "In my career, no matter what I do, I try to find people who are doing it successfully and learn from them."
REPORTER’S PROFILE:
An old-school politician committed to knowing his constituency, Hartzell can be found on any given day going door-to-door, buzzing around town in a golf cart or frequenting community events.
Hartzell says he's hit 1,500 doors so far in this election.
"That's how I formulate policy," he says.
But his neighborhood travels are not limited to the campaign. He'll knock on doors to solicit feedback on issues or provide information to citizens that he thinks might get overlooked if it arrives by mail
.
He knocked on talk radio host Chuck Betson's door and ended up as an occasional co-host. He knocked on the door of the unofficial "Mayor of Merion Park," Joe Newsome, in 2006 and naively asked about the flooding in the low-lying neighborhood.
"Sit down, son," Newsome told Hartzell.
Though Newsome has now passed, Hartzell says he's proud that the city put together a coalition of neighbors in Merion Park to work with the city and engineers on a
plan to remediate flooding.
"Neighbors see things and know things that other people may not ascertain," Hartzell says — a lesson he learned from his father
Hartzell was half of the "butcher and paper salesman" duo (along with councilman and Boyar's Market part-owner Scott Ping), so dubbed by firefighter union officials in 2011 for their role in forming a plan to replace a small number of retiring firefighters with lower-paid emergency medical technicians (EMTs).
Hartzell says he'll continue to look for ways to provide equal services for less money, and he stands by his efforts in the past.
"I think I’ve been fair, and I’ve looked at all of them (city departments)," Hartzell says.
And the city will try a new plan this year to incorporate part-time EMTs to reduce overtime.
"It’s actually kind of cool," Hartzell says.
He says, when it comes down to it, there are only a few ways to provide tax relief to residents: raise revenue, cut staff or find ways to provide services for less money. He's worked at all three.
DEFINING OCEAN CITY MEMORY:
Hartzell had a grandmother who lived in Ocean City and was a "huge mentor." The ride over the bridge was like, “Wow, I'm coming to see Grandmom, whom I love." And the feeling was mixed with the thrill of coming to Ocean City, knowing he had the freedom (even at a young age) to walk around downtown, the beach and boardwalk.
COMING UP:
A Re-Elect Keith Hartzell for City Council benefit will be held 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 27, at the VFW Hall in Ocean City, 1501 Bay Avenue. Food and beverages will be served. Donations are being accepted via check made out to Hartzell For Council.
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