Rehoboth Beach, a city with a $20 million operating budget, has no plan for long term capital improvements.
Our most valuable capital asset is our Boardwalk, and we have no formal plan for its upkeep and replacement. We don't even have a Boardwalk committee anymore.
Twenty-one years ago Bill Bahan, retired Fortune 500 executive, ran for mayor and campaigned on the need for long-range planning. He lost the election and we still have no five-year plan for capital improvements. During most of the subsequent elections for mayor, the need for financial planning continued to come into focus. However, after the elections were over, we returned to the status quo without a plan.
Remarkably, Lady Luck has smiled on Rehoboth Beach. Hurricane Irene (2011) was headed our way but gained speed at the last moment and passed just east of our city. Hurricane Sandy (2012) was originally projected to come up Delaware Bay but made landfall instead 60 miles north with devastating effects. The tourism industry in New Jersey has taken three to four years to recover. Hundreds of beach town businesses went bankrupt. Summer tourists went elsewhere.
In our local war against the developers, we have neglected to notice that 85 percent of our $20 million comes directly or indirectly from tourist revenue. When a hurricane hits, immediate repair and reconstruction funds are vital but revenue from tourism will stop immediately. Without a working capital improvement plan, Rehoboth Beach will not have access to low interest rate bond money.
We need a plan.
Our city charter clearly defines the responsibilities and duties of the city manager. The city manager is the chief administrative officer of our city and is responsible for planning. The city manager should answer only to the board of commissioners and should not be a highly paid assistant to the mayor.
We currently have a very qualified and competent city manager who is experienced in managing a city like ours. She should be allowed to do her job.
Commissioner Paul Kuhns has financial and administrative skills learned from a career in the private sector. His years of service in various civic positions in Rehoboth Beach prove his dedication to our city. He will work with our board of commissioners and the city manager to bring us a capital improvement plan.
A vote for Kuhns will help bring our city into the 21st century. It's time for progress. Let's vote for Kuhns.
Jay Lagree
Rehoboth Beach
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