OCEAN CITY, Md. - The Ocean City Council is reviewing potential changes to the town charter that would raise the bar for candidates seeking elected office.
Proposals include increasing the current residency requirement from four months to either one or two years, prohibiting candidates from holding a rental license on the property they claim as their residence, and requiring that officials continue to live in town during their term.
The Council began discussing the changes in February and will continue the conversation in future work sessions.
A proposed charter amendment will be scheduled for a regular meeting and, if adopted, will take effect 50 days later. No fiscal impact is expected. The Council may also consider whether to retain authority over judging candidate qualifications or delegate that role to the Board of Supervisors of Elections.
Further discussion is expected before any final action is taken, and council has not yet made a decision on the proposed changes.