Letter from Jim: Addressing housing choices, affordability and services to bolster our resident base
Dear Friends, Neighbors, and Supporters,
Like many shore towns, Ocean City has two distinct, interconnected and essential populations. We have our full-time residents – about 11,000 people who live here year-round. In addition, we have second homeowners, vacationers, and visitors that make up our “tourist population.” Both groups are critical to our city’s vitality and long-term prosperity. At the same time, in my conversations across the community, I’m hearing growing concern that more can be done to support and sustain our year-round population.
Over the past 20 years, our resident population has declined nearly 30%, and shows little signs of expected growth. Yet our year-round population is important and critical to Ocean City’s long term health, maintaining the city’s economic stability, sustaining local services, and fostering a cohesive culture that is the fabric of our community.
Businesses depend on residents in the off-season. Residents are needed to maintain essential and emergency services, run our schools, teach our children, operate our Community Center and keep our places of worship open. We need residents who seek elected office and keep our city government functional. Year-round families are needed to sustain enrollment in our beloved school district.
Addressing Real Concerns
But affordability issues, aging demographics and conversion of Ocean City’s housing stock to non-resident ownership are realities putting strain on the city’s year-round population. How we respond and adapt to these pressures is critical to supporting the resident base that is essential to our resort town’s vitality and long-term prosperity.
It is not enough to just talk about the importance of these issues; it’s essential that our government have a clear, actionable plan to support our population better.
That’s why, as a Council member, I will do the following to support our resident population:
Support essential and emergency services that make Ocean City a safe and secure place to live;
Maintain year-round resources like our Community Center, Civic Center, Music Pier, Parks, and Sports and Recreational Facilities;
Introduce ordinances that support housing for permanent residents;
Engage robust public input and expertise into city planning;
Provide financially disciplined leadership to maintain affordability.
Experience and Commitment
I have spent 43 years in my professional life building and maintaining successful, vibrant communities. One constant I have found in all those years is challenge. I have learned to approach those challenges as opportunities—working with stakeholders to develop practical solutions and holding myself accountable for delivering on the commitments made.
I am excited by the opportunity to share my experience and expertise in contributing to Ocean City’s continued success on City Council; I hope I can count on your support.
Please consider sharing this email with friends and neighbors, Follow, Share and Comment on our Facebook and Instagram posts, consider volunteering, or making a contribution of any size. And please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to chat or share ideas.
Thank you for your continued engagement and for everything you’re doing to help move Ocean City forward.
Yours,