The municipal election on May 8 will decide the four ward seats on the seven-member City Council. The winners will serve four-year terms.

Ocean City Patch asked each candidate to complete a questionnaire outlining biographical information, their platform and their stands on a handful of issues.

The questionnaire is presented here in the same format it was given to the candidates. There were no further instructions, and none of the responses has been edited (beyond basic proofreading and formatting). Readers can make their own judgments on how the candidates did or didn't answer the questions.

The candidates are as follows:

FIRST WARD (all addresses north of the north side of Fourth Street): Mike DeVlieger, Fred Hoffman (see below)

SECOND WARD (south side of Fourth Street to north side of 12th Street): Antwan McClellan, John Quinn 

THIRD WARD (south side of 12th Street to north side of 26th Street): Steve Fenichel, Tony Wilson

FOURTH WARD (all addresses south of the south side of 26th Street and the Ocean Reef community off Tennessee Avenue): Peter Guinosso, Ed Price, Bart Russell 

FRED HOFFMAN

BIO INFORMATION:

Name: Fred Hoffman

Age: 78

Address: 800 block Second Street

Education: West Chester State, bachelor of science degree +40

No. of years lived in Ocean City: 20 

Family:

• Wife: Joan
• Four grown children, one grandchild

Occupation: Retired teacher and department supervisor (37 years); professional baseball

Public service:

• Former Ocean City Board of Education member
• Former president of the Ocean City Recreation Board
• Director of the Ocean City Baseball Clinic
• Past president of the North End Civic Association
• Ocean City Surf Chair volunteer
• First Night volunteer
• First Fright volunteer

PLATFORM:

What issues do you see as critical for the next four years?

• Streets and drainage: Work to eliminate neighborhood flooding
• Set long- and short-term goals for City Council action
• Communicate before making a decision — the citizens should have input
• Maintain services but reduce wasteful spending

What do you see as the biggest accomplishments and shortcomings of the existing City Council and city administration in the past four years?  

No response

What do you want voters to know about you and what you’ll bring to the table?

If what one values represents a way of life, gives direction to life, and are those things which make a difference in living, then what we do with our limited time, energy, and resources shows how we choose to spend our lives. "What we do is that which defines us."

Leaders must have the courage to say what they mean and mean what they say. However, more importantly, they must be able to dispassionately and objectively examine the issues and form a consensus so that a beneficial result will occur for the citizenry.

Leadership requires that I am ever mindful that Ocean City belongs to the people of Ocean City and that decisions made reflect citizen input and that the welfare of the citizen is placed at the forefront.

The promotion of a city that values a safe and positive environment for the residents and children in our neighborhoods will be one of my highest priorities. The recognition that tourism is our industry and that we must balance the needs of this important part of our economy with our resident population is imperative.

You may be certain that I will be available and sensitive to the needs and desires of the citizens of this "Jewel" of an island we call Ocean City.

YES-OR-NO QUESTIONS (one-word answers only, please):

I support allowing BYOB restaurants in Ocean City: Yes

I support 2 percent annual salary increases for police, firefighters and public employees: No response

I support continued borrowing (bond ordinances) to pave more streets, improve drainage, dredge more channels and improve more parts of the city's infrastructure — even if it means the city and taxpayers will pay more in debt service: No response

I support the continuation of a local volunteer Ethics Board with broad powers to conduct investigations and pass judgment on city employees: No response

YES-OR-NO QUESTIONS (explanations … go ahead and provide rationale here, if you wish):

BYOB:  We espouse the idea of the democratic process. We have our finest paying the ultimate price so that we can enjoy the freedom we have, as well as the right of self-determination. Let the people decide.  

Salary increases: We must honor the contracts currently in place. Our work force should receive compensation consistent with current practice. They should also contribute to their benefits in accordance with current trends. New employees need to be subject to negotiation.

Borrowing for capital improvements: Present economic and workforce conditions indicate that this would be a good time to take charge of our infrastructure. Our infrastructure is a critical need. If you have a hole in the roof, you do not buy new rugs!   

Ethics Board: Past practices such as "pay to play," creative bookkeeping and questionable hiring practices indicate the need for a board.