The board of directors’ skirmish this week over an attempt to remove Gary Miller from his assignments on the clubs and aquatics committees is the product of the turmoil that has enveloped the board in recent months.
Ordinarily, no one would blame any elected body for removing one of its appointees after he or she publicly attacked its decisions and strategies.
In the business world, First Amendment or no, that’s a firing offense and the same principle applies in government, as the current national situation has repeatedly demonstrated.
While Mr. Miller’s frustrations with aspects of the Ocean Pines Association’s operations are understandable — especially as he witnessed the frenzied comings and goings of clubs division employees — he remains accountable to the people who gave him the advisory post.
When an advisor turns against the advisees, well, unpleasant things generally happen.
Considering that, the board’s disagreement Friday had less to do with Mr. Miller’s right to say what he wants than it did with the fact that half the board agreed with the points he made.
He was more of a symbol of the distrust one side of the board has for the other, as well as the public’s own concerns with the why and how of the association majority’s thinking.
Because of the tightly controlled dribbles of information from the board to the public, residents can only speculate whether this uncompromising approach to decision-making is the result of personality conflicts, clashing egos or, given speculation’s inevitable destination when facts are scarce, something seriously amiss.
Under most scenarios, Mr. Miller’s continued service would not have been a major debate. The board’s breakdown because of the my-way-or-the-highway approach to governing made it into one.