Friday's forum provided some useful glimpses of the three commission candidates, but it was even more informative about the variety of agenda expressed by those who spoke. These "questions" were typically personal statements about topics ranging from mini-hotels to noise complaints. Many comments revealed the declining quality of life experienced by residents of the City of Rehoboth Beach.
The variety of agenda makes it difficult to identify the constituencies the candidates represent. The increasing number of voters whose only connection with the city is property ownership often surfaces through quality of life issues like noise and traffic. Too often quality of life receives a low priority among elected officials and city employees.
This tension between property interests and quality of life has persisted from the time that the Rehoboth Beach Camp Meeting Association began selling 50-by-100-foot lots in 1873. Moreover, streets that were developed for horse and wagon certainly were not designed for weekend populations of 200,000 tourists.
The next century will bring even more challenges to Rehoboth Beach. Hopefully, a long- term perspective will develop.
Robert A. Wilson
Rehoboth Beach
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