e Sept. 16 Dewey Beach election is Marc Appelbaum, the town manager, accused in June by all the town department heads with 18 employees in total of sexual harassment, financial mismanagement, jeopardizing public safety, racial discrimination, and creating a hostile workplace as he strutted around Town Hall in his pajama bottoms.
Citizens were horrified but the town council refused to act for weeks, causing fear and consternation among the town employees.
Finally, under intense public criticism, the council appointed Assistant Town Manager Jim Dedes to supervise the complainants, leaving Appelbaum otherwise in charge, including as registrar of the election. And in the face of the forthcoming election, the council voted for an investigation headed by attorney Max Walton, but with no deadline for completion.
At that town meeting, however, the council quashed any public comment, in violation of regular practice, infuriating the public. And it is noteworthy that Appelbaum had previously hired Walton to work on town matters.
What is wrong with this picture? Even inexperienced council members would have put Appelbaum on leave with pay to get him out of Town Hall so he could not intimidate anyone or manipulate the records.
And guess what? Mysteriously, a large pile of town records were shredded recently even though the Public Integrity Commission ordered the town to preserve all records!
It is obvious the town council is incapable of handling the biggest scandal Dewey has faced in years. The two incumbent members running for re-election, Mayor Dale Cooke and former Mayor Diane Hanson, are part of a tight inner circle with Appelbaum.
For years they have ignored his violations of law and practice, his secrecy, his exclusion of commissioners who questioned his actions from meetings and information, his selective enforcement, his manipulation of the town financial reports.
And now, despite the pending Appelbaum investigation, he remains the registrar in an election where three of the five council seats will be decided and three votes will determine his fate as town manager.
Clearly, the council should immediately remove him as registrar. Also, Appelbaum should not be allowed inside or outside voting locations while people are voting as he was last year. The town charter specifically states that the town manager shall not be influenced by any matters whatsoever of a political or fractional nature. Applebaum should immediately be removed from Town Hall with pay, and Max Walton should be given a deadline for completion of his investigation.
As a nine-year property owner in Dewey, I worked hard in all the elections beginning in 2007 to support effective town councils. I sold my condo 18 months ago, but I love the town and am distressed at the current disarray.
Joan Claybrook
Washington, D.C.
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