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Registered Republican voters in District 2 and 3 will go to the polls Tuesday, Sept. 9, to select a candidate for Sussex County Council. In the races that had one Republican running the week before the filing deadline, the announcement that three incumbent councilmen – Dale Dukes, Finley Jones and Lynn Rogers – were all stepping down opened the door to more filings.
In the two districts, four more Republicans threw their hats in the ring.
In District 2, which includes the Georgetown-Greenwood-Bridgeville area, Bob Ricker, Sam Wilson and Bob Reed are all in the race.
All three have political experience. Ricker is the former mayor of Georgetown, Reed is the former county sheriff and Wilson is the 35th Republican District chairman.
The winner of the Republican District 2 primary will face Democrat Mike Wyatt, another former Georgetown mayor, in the general election.
In District 3, which includes the Lewes-Milton area, Judson Bennett of Lewes, who lost the election by three votes to Rogers in 2004, will face political newcomer Mark Baker of Lewes. The winner will face Democrat Joan Deaver in the general election.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and only registered Republicans will be eligible to vote.
The deadline to register was Aug. 16.
The deadline to return absentee ballots is Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. at the Sussex County Department of Elections in Georgetown.
ROBERT “BOB” RICKER, 52
Key issues: More jobs to keep young people in the county; controlled growth; attention to transportation concerns.
Background: More than 30 years in the fire service; two terms as Georgetown mayor; Georgetown council and planning commission; state fire prevention commission member; Little League umpire.
Bio: Married with two sons; lives in Georgetown; owns two hardware stores in Millsboro and Long Neck.
ROBERT “BOB” REED, 57
Key issues: Keep taxes low; new high-paying jobs; infrastructure to match growth; safe environment.
Background: Air Force retiree; Vietnam veteran; former county sheriff; 14 years as police officer; part-time farmer.
Bio: Lifelong county resident; lives in Greenwood; married with four children and 10 grandchildren; life member of VFW; active in church.
SAM WILSON, 70
Key issues: Less government; lower taxes; property rights; good financial management.
Background: Active in Republican politics; 35th District chairman; farmer.
Bio: Lifelong Georgetown resident; married 49 years with four children and eight grandchildren; lives on family farm that dates back before the Civil War.
1. Sussex County base zoning in AR-1 zones is 2 units to 1 acre. Would you support lowering that density?
Bob Reed: I do not think lowering or increasing density should be a blanket answer to fit all situations in the county. My decision will be dependent upon the proposed plan, type of project such as affordable housing, elder care or assisted living structures, which should be considered for an aging population.
Evaluation would be necessary to determine what infrastructure is in place. Is the project located near a town center where water and sewer services are available? What impact will my decision have on traffic patterns? All of this should be studied on a case-by-case basis and evaluated before decisions are made.
Bob Ricker: Each project needs to be looked at closely. The more dense projects need to be located nearer to town centers and the density should be reduced the farther out you go.
Sam Wilson: Planning houses in a subdivision on large acreage is poor land use and oftentimes the homeowners do not want to keep up with large acreages.
2. The county does not provide any parks and recreation services, other than donations to other agencies and municipalities. Would you support forming a county parks and recreation department – even if it required raising taxes?
Bob Reed: Fortunately, we do have some recreational opportunities at our state parks and beaches. We also have some town parks. While I would like to see county parks, I do not think this is the time for purchase or development of county parks, due to the economic situation of the county operating in the red for the past two years. This should be reevaluated when we improve efficiency and get spending under control. Under no circumstances would I vote to raise taxes for parks.
Bob Ricker: I am strongly in favor of added support for parks and recreation, and I believe this is an important component in reducing potential crime with at-risk children. I would research finding funding in the existing budget by reducing spending in other areas, not raising taxes.
Sam Wilson: Not at this time. The county is currently operating in a deficit and I don’t feel it is appropriate to expand government at the taxpayers’ expense. The towns in the county provide parks to their communities, subdivisions provide open space for their residents and the state has state parks for all our citizens.
3. Several organizations and citizens are pressing the county to enact a building moratorium to allow the real estate market to catch up with the glut of houses on the market. Would you support a moratorium? Do you have other ideas to mitigate the downturn in the housing market?
Bob Reed: For several years, I have predicted that if the current development trend continued we would see a glut of houses on the market. This is exactly what happened. Growth has not only slowed, it is stalled.
Many economists are forecasting a further devaluation in housing prices is probable over the next year. This is not the time for a moratorium, which would bankrupt many small business and put out of work contractors, suppliers and personnel who perform trade services. The impact would be devastating to our local economy.
A better plan is to ensure smart growth ensuring we balance infrastructure so that residents and our children can enjoy a better quality of life.
Bob Ricker: I don’t have enough information to make such a bold decision on housin;, however, I believe in the free enterprise system and feel confident the housing crunch will work itself out. There are already positive figures coming in for the last quarter.
Sam Wilson: Free-market trade will regulate the housing market. Many proposed projects have been halted due to the downturn of the market. The housing downturn is due mainly to the national economy. With high gas, energy and rising food prices, a cheap dollar and the current mortgage crisis, the housing market will only improve when the national economy does.
4. The county council recently voted to purchase land for a new administration office. Do you support that $2.4-million expenditure? Should a new, larger facility be a priority at this time?
Bob Reed: For the past two years, the county budget has had a deficit. Susan Webb, county finance director, has reported that the audited financial statement will reflect a $4 million loss for this past fiscal year. It is time to put the checkbook away and stop spending money for larger facilities. This is not a priority at this time.
Bob Ricker: I will look very closely at the current building and staffing levels to ensure we really need a new building, I would hope the current council thought very deeply before they burdened the people of Sussex County with a $2.4 million piece of land. If the roles were reversed, I would have left that decision to an incoming council.
Sam Wilson: Regarding the land purchase, the current council has already made the decision. Concerning the new administrative offices, I feel the need for this expenditure would have to be studied by the incoming council. The need and cost of the facility would have to be weighed against the ability of the county to pay for it without raising taxes on county residents. I think the county needs to operate within its means like the residents have to do with their own household budgets.
5. Property rights are a major issue in this campaign. Provide your definition of property rights as it pertains to growth and development in Sussex County.
Bob Reed: I cannot answer this question any better than a quote from George Mason, ally of James Madison and George Washington. “All men are created equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; among which are enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing the obtaining of happiness and safety.”
Bob Ricker: A farmer’s land is his/her 401(k); it’s their retirement. I believe in and will fight for a landowner’s property rights.
Sam Wilson: I consider property rights to be the ability of someone to do with their property as they see fit. Yet, you have to consider and weigh the impact this ability will have on the neighboring properties and other residents.
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