Pocomoke's Election Day Nears

Election Day, APRIL 5,  is almost here for the citizens of Pocomoke. 

From the Worcester County Times

Written by:  Jennifer Shutt

March 31, 2011

POCOMOKE CITY -- In a few days, Pocomoke voters will head to the polls to select a new mayor and District 3 city council member.

Five people have registered to run for the two open seats -- three vying for the title of mayor and two campaigning to be the District 3 representative.

On election day candidates say they will be at the library for all or most of the 12-hour day from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., campaigning, shaking hands and letting voters know what matters to them.
Bruce Morrison, Lynn Duffy and Frank Ward will be competing for the mayoral seat, while Bobby Brittingham and Donald Malloy are both seeking the District 3 council seat.

Many of the candidates said reducing crime and revitalizing downtown will be priorities if elected.

"We've got to find a way to make downtown work again," says mayoral candidate Morrison, adding crime prevention would be similarly important.

Duffy, a professional counselor, also wishes to tackle crime if elected and says she would pursue a more open government. "I'm fully committed," she said in an interview about her campaign. On her often-updated campaign website, duffy4pocomoke. com, she has written insistently about crime as a growing and dangerous problem.

"Crime went up and our town has no plan," Duffy wrote. "Everything is not okay in Pocomoke."

Ward, the third candidate, could not be reached for comment.

Last year, 162 people turned out to vote for District 1 and 2 City Council representatives. This year, city officials expect more votes to be cast, because all registered Pocomoke voters will be able to cast a ballot for mayor. Officials said their voter rolls show 2,773 registered voters who could participate in the election.

The mayoral seat became available last year after mayor Mike McDermott was elected to represent part of the Eastern Shore in the House of Delegates. After Morrison announced his intention to run for mayor after six years as District 3 councilman, his council seat also became available.

Council race

Malloy, who was a councilman in the 1960s, is running to fill the District 3 seat, and says he's bringing no grand plans for changes with him.

"I don't think there is anything rather drastic to be changed in Pocomoke," said Malloy. "I think I am capable of keeping Pocomoke running as well as I think it does now."

In a campaign statement, Brittingham said his experience as a retired policeman could help Pocomoke, and he said city government is at times unresponsive. "What I see today is the lack of confidence in our city government, and the lack of information that the city government provides to the people," he said in the statement. He would step up code enforcement for abandoned buildings, he said, and work to get tenants for empty storefronts.

Brittingham won the Democratic primary race for Worcester County Sheriff last fall but lost to Republican Reggie Mason in the general election.

Source; delmarvanow.com http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110331/WCT01/103310302/Pocomoke-candidates-prepare-for-polling-day?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Worcester County Times|s