By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
City Clerk Melissa Rasner and her assistant Nicole Driscoll stood next to two plastic baskets filled with purple eggs as they awaited the arrival of some guests to their office in City Hall.
Rasner, Driscoll and Deputy Clerk Sheila Cottrell greeted everyone with smiles when the visitors walked into the office Thursday afternoon and began picking eggs out of the baskets.
But these weren’t children participating in an Easter egg hunt. They were City Council candidates, or their campaign managers, going through the important process of determining ballot positions for Ocean City’s municipal election May 14.
Using the plastic purple eggs, Rasner took a whimsical approach toward selecting the ballot positions to make it fun for the candidates in what might have otherwise been an oh-so-serious or tense election process.
“It’s fair, it’s easy and this way it gives the candidates an opportunity to decide their own fate,” Rasner explained of why she decided to have everyone pick eggs from the baskets.
One by one, the candidates selected an egg, opened it and watched as Rasner announced whether the slips of paper inside had the numbers one or two written on them to determine the ballot position.
Candidates drawing a one will be listed first on the ballot in their respective race for City Council’s First, Second, Third and Fourth Wards and the one at-large seat up for grabs this election. A two means their names will appear second on the ballot.
“You could flip a coin. There are so many different ways to do it. But we figured that we would let the candidates pick whether they’re first or second,” Rasner said of the egg-drawing process.
Only incumbent First Ward Councilman Terry Crowley Jr. will run unopposed in the election. Crowley’s name will automatically appear in the top position on the ballot for the First Ward race.
Crowley wasn’t at the Clerk’s Office for the ballot drawing, but was represented by his campaign manager, Jennifer Bowman.
“I was getting nervous that I was going to pick lower than No. 1,” Bowman joked.
Crowley’s campaign slogan is, “Respecting Our History, Protecting Our Future!”
Following are the candidates in the contested races, their campaign slogan and the order in which they will appear on the ballot.
Second Ward:
Keith Hartzell, “Protecting Our Neighborhood, Securing Our Future,” first.
Paul Stryker, “A Fresh Voice For The Future,” second.
Third Ward:
Incumbent Councilman Jody Levchuk, “Proven Independent Leadership Working For You,” first.
Amie Vaules, “Community Character Compassion and Competence,” two.
Levchuk did not attend the ballot drawing or have a representative, so the City Clerk’s Office picked an egg for him at random in his absence.
Fourth Ward:
Cecilia Gallelli-Keyes, “Decisive, Determined, Dependable,” first.
Incumbent Councilman David Winslow, “Proven Leadership For The 4th Ward,” second.
Council At-Large:
Sean Barnes, “Preserving Our Shore Way Of Life!” first.
Michael DeVlieger, “Proven Leadership For Ocean City,” second.
Incumbent Second Ward Councilman Tom Rotondi announced last week that he will not seek re-election.
The opening for the At-Large Council seat was created when Councilwoman Karen Bergman stepped down from the governing body in January to take a new job as supervisor of Ocean City’s Howard S. Stainton Senior Center.
On Election Day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The deadline for voter registration is April 23.
