Dewey Beach voters head to polls Sept. 17

Dewey Beach voters head to the polls Saturday, Sept. 17, to select two commissioners. Incumbents Courtney Riordan and Gary Mauler both hope to return to town council, challenged by Gary Persinger who has previously served on the town's planning commission and on the comprehensive development plan work group.

Dewey Beach is emerging from years of rancor and mistrust that characterized elections for most of the past decade. This year's election offers voters three solid candidates who have all shown they are devoted to the best interests of the town. They have also demonstrated an ability to understand issues facing Dewey as the town navigates major problems, from sea level rise and related infrastructure needs to the more mundane problems of trash collection.

Courtney Riordan has proven to have a strong sense for setting priorities and taking action to get things done. At the same time, he has a steady hand and approaches decisions in a reasonable way that builds consensus and promotes collaboration.

Gary Mauler has worked tirelessly to correct what he considers problems facing council. He has pushed for months to resolve problems that have prevented livestreaming of council meetings – certainly an issue of interest to many Dewey property owners who live both in and out of town. It appears town council will finally get to work on this issue this month, largely at Mauler's insistence.

Gary Persinger has shown that he's a person who does his homework on the issues and comes to meetings well prepared. When he joined the planning commission, it was clear he had taken the time to review the minutes of past commission decisions. He arrived at meetings with knowledge about what was on the agenda, and his comments were on point.

Voters must decide among three astute and very committed candidates. While we value Mauler's devotion to open government and live-streaming meetings, his contributions to town meetings are often hijacked by his confrontational style.

For that reason, the Cape Gazette endorses Courtney Riordan and Gary Persinger for Dewey Beach Town Council.