I agree with you completely. If you are staying here they want you to get the proper long stay visa. They do look at your track record, specifically for that calendar year.
We are now in the process of getting our Retirement (Non-O) visa.
I actually went back and spoke to the supervisor ( they let me in through a side gate) after she was denied entry and after a lot of arguing they let her in. I said “you can’t let me in and not my wife- so they let her in with a warning”