Introductory Remarks From Todd Eachus, FOCUS president

My name is Todd Eachus. I am pleased to announce the formation of a new organization that will serve as the cornerstone of an effort to shape the future and preserve the traditions that define America’s Greatest Family Resort.

For decades, families have raised their children in Ocean City, run local businesses, and enjoyed a quality of life unique to Ocean City. Thousands upon thousands of people have come here, as residents, visitors, and business owners, to bring their dreams to life. 

But sadly, we’re at a crossroads. We live in an age in which the sometimes empty and often overheated rhetoric of social media is confused with facts …  and in which the fringe politics of those on the margins is confused with sound policy.  And this rhetoric threatens Ocean City family values.

So it is with great pleasure that I announce a new organization in Ocean City that will support families, culture, heritage, faith, education, values and the public stature of Ocean City. This new organization will be known as FOCUS (Families of Ocean City United in Success).

We will be tenacious in a quest to prevent the erosion of our proud heritage and in making sure that long-standing family traditions remain intact. We will do so by providing support for candidates who place Ocean City residents, students, seniors, homeowners and business owners first.

FOCUS is an organization dedicated to upholding key foundational principles of Ocean City and the surrounding area.  We are dedicated to the support of our community and the families and residents who make this a special place. We will accomplish our goals through education, advocacy and support for leaders, ideas and policies that will advance our institutions, safeguard our heritage and protect our future. Youth development, senior citizen services, improving education opportunities are core guiding principles of FOCUS.

FOCUS will build a support system that advocates for and supports candidates and elected officials who possess the leadership, experience and vision to advance policies and solutions that will preserve our rich heritage and traditions, while preparing our community for the future and ensuring Ocean City remains a community for all.  Support will be given to candidates who are dedicated to the viability of the community and are committed to a stable, growing and inclusive future. FOCUS will not support candidates who are beholden to outside organizations and causes.

Parents have an obligation to their children to ensure that they are well-educated and prepared to succeed in the competitive and changing world we live in. This makes the quality of the local school system a critical element of our culture and a core principle of FOCUS.

We recognize the complex and impactful issues the city and school administrations now face, and we seek to identify leaders on City Council and the Board of Education to take an active part in providing direction and support through logical and pragmatic thinking to help address those myriad issues.

We will harness the energy of members of FOCUS into working with the government and school district of Ocean City to provide guidance and offer solutions to current and emerging issues. 

For too long, there has been a silent majority of families, citizens, young and old alike, businesspeople, and others, who have noticed efforts by some to change the fabric of what makes Ocean City such a special place. FOCUS will strive to ensure the fabric of Ocean City remains consistent with our traditions and heritage.

We will endeavor to ensure issues are presented comprehensively and will not take a position without research — It serves no useful purpose to provide information without facts. FOCUS will employ a fact-based approach, using data and full information in making determinations. We will guard against distortions, lies and slanted opinions that all too often drive agendas and public opinion.

Today's citizens want to be informed. Being better informed leaders, parents, students, educators, officials and administrators, allows all of us to remove roadblocks and unlock our creative energy.  We will provide information, integrity, the whole truth and commitment.

In later life, citizens deserve to feel safe and secure, by knowing that Ocean City is providing a wide array of services designed to meet their needs. In essence, instead of trying to stop progress by only looking backwards, we need to look forward and ensure our elected leaders share the same vision for the future that the members of our community share. 

Yesterday's solutions to problems don't always work today. Just as technology has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years and the impact on our lives is significant, so too will FOCUS play an integral part in helping Ocean City to prepare for the future.

We are concerned with taxes, and we pledge to work with the administration to find ways to limit government spending, while seeking a proper and reasonable balance between the bottom line and the long-term future and continuing traditions of Ocean City. This IS the definition of fiscal responsibility

We look for support from all those who want to make a significant impact on the culture and traditions of Ocean City now and in the future.

My intent is not to outline FOCUS’ position on all the current issues; my intent is to communicate the framework in which the organization will operate, based on established guiding principles. 

And so I, along with many esteemed community members, am proud to say that Families of Ocean City United in Success has been born. This child will be tomorrow’s leader. You can bet on that. I know I am.

Thank you

Todd Eachus