Attorney maintains Leslie Smith lives in Ocean City, acknowledges she owns a home in Bishopville
While Ocean City Council contender Leslie Smith and her attorney argue she meets the town’s domicile requirements, a majority of the current council this week did not see it as such when they voted against a motion to accept her as a qualified candidate in this fall’s municipal election.
Smith’s candidacy was quickly called into question at the start of Wednesday’s special meeting, during which two residents came before the council to challenge her residency. And following a lengthy public hearing, a motion to accept Smith as a candidate in the November election failed with Councilmen Matt James, Will Savage and Frank Knight opposed, Councilman John Gehrig and Councilwoman Carol Proctor in favor, and Councilman Tony DeLuca abstaining.
“I’m struggling with the fact that I’m a candidate, and now I’m voting on basically a competitor. It’s like asking us to count the votes too,” Gehrig said, arguing a charter amendment was needed. “Everything we do up here has some sort of committee that reviews the facts, makes the recommendation, brings it before the council, and we discuss it at that point. So I understand that’s not how it is, but maybe that should be how it is. Because this is broken. How it is doesn’t make sense.”
At the beginning of Wednesday’s meeting, during which the council convened to accept the list of candidates in this year’s municipal election, two residents came before officials with concerns regarding Smith’s residency. Caine Woods resident Dennis Dare, a former city manager and council member, said several residents had approached him about the issue and that he wanted the council to be aware.
“I have been approached by several residents questioning the residency and domicile of Leslie Smith and feel obligated to bring those concerns forward to the city council,” said Dare. “It is of paramount importance to preserve the integrity of the election process, and I trust the city council will give this matter its full attention.”