As I have been walking around town recently, speaking to various people on the street, the predominant question I get is, "what is going on with our city government?" There is concern about the City Hall project and how we got to where we are, why is it so big, and how are we going to pay for it?
Interestingly enough, these questions are coming from city voters who have never voted for me in the past, whether for commissioner or mayor. There is concern from these citizens as to how the decision-making process works in the city government, and why many of the commissioners are not involved.
I am running for mayor because I believe our system of government in this city is out of balance. Too much of the decision-making process is in the hands of one person. There are seven commissioners, including one who happens to have the title of mayor, and by design of the city charter, each of the seven has the same rights and responsibilities in our decision-making process. The practice today is quite different, and it has been this way for years.
If I am lucky enough to be voted into the office of mayor, I do not want to be the only player on the field. I want to be part of a successful team that is very involved every step of the way. As the city government moves forward, I would plan to work diligently with all of the commissioners in every facet of our governance. I would like to see the process be much more proactive, open and transparent, involving all segments of the community.
The ocean outfall project will be much more costly than the City Hall. Therefore, it will be much more important for the commissioners to work together as a unit, making decisions that all have had an equal role in deliberating.
There are other important decisions to be made by the board that will require cohesive deliberations. At a recent workshop the board embarked on consideration of far-reaching financial management issues, ones that could impact our city employees. The greater need for long-term planning was also discussed, which has the potential to affect all of the stakeholders in our community.
The voters of Rehoboth Beach have an important decision to make about who will be their mayor. I am asking you to vote for me because I am committed to putting balance back into our commissioner form of government. I pledge to be much more open and transparent as we move forward with the ocean outfall project and other important issues to be decided. If you have any questions, or would like to see some comments by your fellow citizens please visit my website, kuhnsformayor.com.
Paul Kuhns
candidate for mayor
Rehoboth Beach
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