OCEAN CITY – Council President Jim Hall is on the mend this week after suffering a heart attack last Friday and plans to be back at City Hall next week.

While on a job site for his sprinkler system company last Friday, the long-time Ocean City elected official had a heart attack and was taken to Atlantic General Hospital (AGH) and then transferred to Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) in Salisbury where he underwent heart surgery. He was reached Tuesday at home and is recovering.

“I am fine, I am fatigued … and believe me with the combination from 10th Street Medical Center to the Ocean City paramedics to AGH doctors to PRMC doctors, they saved my life,” he said. “I just count my blessings every day. They got me in time, they got me to the hospital, and they made all the right calls, and saved me before I passed away but I’m okay. I’m resting now and with enough recovery time I should be okay.”

The council president was not present for this week’s Mayor and City Council legislative session on Monday evening and Council Secretary Lloyd Martin stepped in to conduct the meeting. However, Jim Hall plans on being back in his seat for next Tuesday afternoon’s scheduled work session. The doctor has directed him to take it easy for a few days and “no stress”.

When The Dispatch asked Jim Hall if he planned on completing his term, he replied, “Oh, of course. I hope to be back brand new in a couple of weeks. I can’t tell you any further than that, I just got out of the hospital but I plan to fully recover and be back in there swinging away.”

Jim Hall, first elected as a council member in 1987 and has been successful in all his re-election bids since, has served as council president since 2010.