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With a backdrop of colorful petunias on her backyard deck along Plantation Road, Joan Deaver, a Democrat, made it official Wednesday, June 25 – she has filed to run for the 3rd Councilmanic District on Sussex County Council.
Republican Judson Bennett of Lewes is also contesting the seat, held for the past 12 years by Democrat Lynn Rogers of Milton. Rogers said he would make a decision on filing soon. “It’s pending my wife’s progress because my family comes first,” he said.
Rogers’ wife, Linda, was injured in a serious horseback-riding accident. The deadline to file is noon Friday, July 25.
Deaver said it was fitting to make the announcement surrounded by friends and supporters on her deck – the place where the grassroots group Citizens for a Better Sussex was born. Her group has been in the forefront against the proposed Western Parkway, a yet-to-be-built highway west of Route 1.
Right out of the box, Deaver, who moved to the Lewes area from Annapolis, Md., after retiring, said her campaign would focus on getting people informed.
“People need to be notified so we can get ahead of things,” she said. “We don’t want surprises. We should have something to say about what goes on around us.”
She said as she has talked with people, development and land use are the top issues.
“We need to get hold of our land-use plan. We haven’t finished the current plan we adopted five years ago with ordinances not passed. That’s not good enough for our county,” she said.
She said she can’t understand why the county council can’t agree on a clear definition of open space, which was supposed to be addressed in the previous land-use plan.
Deaver said the current land-use plan calls for the addition of 1 million more homes. “We have to change it. The plan is nothing but pretty words.”
She also said the plan should have been done by county staff, and not consultants.
She said more is needed to support educational opportunities in the county. “We need educated and trained employees,” she said.
The proposed four-year University of Delaware campus in Sussex County would be the most exciting thing ever to happen in the county, she said.
On the subject of jobs, Deaver, a strong supporter of Bluewater Wind’s proposed wind farm off the coast of Rehoboth Beach, said county officials need to be more involved in the process when 500 jobs are at stake. If elected, she would promote the appointment of a county liaison to the project.
Deaver is also a strong proponent of collaboration between various levels of government. “County, local and state governments must work together,” she said. Deaver, who is retired, said she would be a full-time councilwoman. “I hear the councilmen say all the time that the county is in the land-use business, but really they should be stewards of the land. Our job is to preserve the quality of life in Sussex County,” she said.
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