The Worcester County Commissioners elected Commissioner Chip Bertino as board president and Jim Bunting as board vice president.
Commissioner Bertino was elected to the board in 2014 to represent District Five, the Ocean Pines District, and is currently serving his third term in office.
Commissioner Bertino represents the County Commissioners on the MACo Legislative Committee and the Wor-Wic Community College Board of Trustees.
Commissioner Bunting was elected to the board in 2010 to represent District Six, the Northern District, and is currently serving his fourth term in office. He previously served as president from 2014-2016. His appointments include the Commission for Aging and the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee.
The Board of Worcester County Commissioners is the seven-member legislative and executive branch of Worcester County government. Each Commissioner is elected to serve a four-year term, and one representative is elected from each of the seven election districts.
According to a Worcester County news release:
Commissioner Bertino has been in the newspaper publishing business for more than 30 years. He is a member and past president of the Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce, past board member of the Worcester County Veterans Memorial at Ocean Pines, and he is co-author of the book “My Time, My Service” about the men and women honored at the memorial. Commissioner Bertino and his wife, Susan, have lived in Ocean Pines for nearly 30 years. They have three children and two grandchildren.
Commissioner Bunting is a retired professional land surveyor, and he owned and operated his own surveying and land planning business for 18 years. Prior to becoming a commissioner, he served on the Worcester County Board of Zoning Appeals for six years, leading the board as chair for four years. He served on the Worcester County Planning Commission for four years, leading the board as chair for three years. He also served on the Ocean Pines Comprehensive Planning Committee.
Commissioner Bunting and his wife, Elisabeth, live in Bishopville. They have two grown children and one granddaughter.
County Officials Will “Hit the Ground Running” With MACo’s Newly Elected Officials Orientation
County government is often characterized as “where the rubber meets the road” in providing vital core services to its residents. Whether it is repairing potholes, keeping the public safe, setting local land use policies, or providing the first response in a crisis, counties have a direct and substantial impact on their residents. Consequently, they are also the level of government closest to the people and most directly answerable to them.
With about 60 newly elected officials joining the county government ranks this year, MACo is once again hosting its highly acclaimed “Newly Elected Officials Orientation” as part of its annual Winter Conference.
During this orientation, newly elected county officials will learn about local government budgeting and structure, their role in working with the Maryland General Assembly, and more. A roundtable mentoring session will allow new officials to learn directly from seasoned elected officials about the duties, responsibilities, and challenges they will face over the next four years.
MACo’s Winter Conference, “Hit the Ground Running,” is January 4-6, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge, MD (with a pre-conference orientation for new county officials on January 3).
Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference:
