Mayor did not disclose consulting contract with Mita
Originally published in Ocean City Sentinel
by David Breeden
To the Editor:
At the recent town hall meeting held in April 2026, Mayor Gillian stated that he was transparent and always would be honest with the public. Often, those elected officials that repeatedly state that they are transparent, open and honest are the ones deserving of the most attention and Mayor Gillian is no exception.
As a result of the bankruptcy of Mayor Gillian and related litigation of his stepmother and business partner, Eustace Mita, many documents have become public that have provided much additional insight into the financial entanglements between Mayor Gillian, Eustace Mita and the proposed boardwalk hotel project.
One of those documents, previously undisclosed despite numerous claims by both the mayor and Mita that Gillian was not personally benefiting from the closure of Wonderland, is a $2 million consulting agreement. This agreement, executed prior to the sale of Wonderland in 2021, provides the mayor $2 million in compensation paid over 10 years with an option to receive $1 million in advance. And exactly what does the mayor have to do to receive this $2 million? We are not too sure as the consulting services are unspecified and not stated in writing in the contract, which is highly unusual for such a high value contract.
Some additional details of the $2 million consulting agreement between Mayor Gillian and Eustace Mita:
The consulting agreement was a major inducement to the mayor to sell Wonderland to Eustace Mita and cannot be terminated.
The agreement provides compensation of $2 million over a 10-year period, payable in amounts of $200,000 per year or $16,666.67 per month.
The mayor has an option to borrow $1 million in advance on the agreement prior to providing any consulting services.
Payment of the consulting agreement will start upon termination of the lease agreement on Wonderland, or in other words, when Wonderland closes.
The consulting services being provided by Gillian are unspecified (not in writing) and are to be determined prior to the start of any work by the mayor and Mita and may be documented in writing between the mayor and Mita.
Gillian is being paid $2 million in unspecified consulting fees based on his “business experience, skill and expertise.”
The agreement supersedes any previous verbal discussions or informal written memoranda between the mayor and Mita, which have never been disclosed.
In the event of the death of the mayor, the consulting agreement will be paid in full to the estate or beneficiaries of Gillian without the need for any further work.
It is unknown if the mayor has received any payments from the consulting agreement because as stated by his business partner, Mita, in court documents, Gillian owes Mita in excess of $4 million as a result of defaulting on the $1 million mortgage on the mayor’s condominium and over $3 million in lease payments for Wonderland for the summers of 2021 to 2024.
The agreement recognizes the anticipated longstanding relationship between the mayor and Mita and rewards that relationship with a $2 million contract that was unknown to the public for well over 5 years. Clearly, as a result of the consulting agreement and the ongoing litigation, the mayor is financially beholden to Mita, which could potentially influence the decision making process. Equally as troubling, the city solicitor was aware of the consulting agreement since at least September 2022, but did not disclose the agreement to the public as her allegiance to the mayor was stronger than her obligation to the taxpayer.
All of these financial entanglements taint the process and begs many questions regarding the involvement and potential benefit being received by certain city officials from the Mita boardwalk hotel proposal. What we know is not good, but what we still do not know is most likely far worse.
David Breeden
President
Ocean City Fairness in Taxes
