OCEAN CITY, Md. - The Town of Ocean City is considering changes to the residency requirements for candidates, following concerns about a previous councilmember's primary residence.
At Tuesday evening's work session, proposed changes to the charter that would allow candidates to be reviewed earlier in the election process and further explain the intent behind the town's residency requirements in it. Because not all of the councilmembers were in attendance, a vote was deferred to a future meeting.
In February, the Ocean City Council held a special meeting to discuss questions surrounding the residency requirements after Leslie Smith, who ran for council previously, raised concerns over Tony DeLuca's status. DeLuca claimed his primary residence was in Ocean City, but also owned a property in Annapolis.
Four days after that meeting, DeLuca resigned from the council. He said the decision was made so that he could spend more time with family.
Since then, a another council person resigned and triggered a special election. Jeff Heiser and Peter S. Buas were the top vote-getters in Ocean City’s 2026 municipal special election, according to results released by the Town of Ocean City.
