Betts is seeking re-election, but Milton Town Councilwoman Mary Hudson has decided not to seek another three-year term. Last year, nobody filed to run for council seats held by Milton Town Councilman Noble Prettyman and Councilwoman Deanna Duby, so they were re-elected without contest.

Unlike in other Cape Region municipalities, only Milton’s 2,301 residents are eligible to vote.

In 2007, 495 were registered to vote. In 2008, there were 630 registered voters. At press time, 805 voters had registered.

Residents can still register to vote, providing they complete absentee ballot affidavits by noon, Friday, March 5.

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Post, Newlands run for mayor’s seat

Don Post
Don Post, 51, said in his two terms as mayor, he has helped to improve town parks and renovate a new town hall and a new police department, while reorganizing town structure. Born in Seaford, Post has been a Milton resident on and off for 15 years. He said great progress has been made in town under his leadership, and he’d like to continue serving Milton residents.

Cliff Newlands
Political newcomer Cliff Newlands, 57, is a retired software engineer. He said with 37 years of experience – 20 of them in management – he would bring order to a town he calls mismanaged and would insist town officials be more responsive to residents. He said the town’s budget process needs revamping, and town government needs to be more transparent. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., he moved to Milton three years ago.

1. The Milton Theatre, one of the cornerstones of the community, is facing financial difficulty. What, if anything, would you do to ensure the theatre’s livelihood?

Post: The Milton Theatre is the backbone that supports the economic stability and future growth of our town center. Individually, our conviction to the Milton Theatre can come from monetary contributions, dedication of time or specialty services; it can even be as small as attending a $5 movie night or just in believing through body, mind and spirit. As a municipality with limited revenues, we could offer pass-through services for grants, provide letters of support and assist with marketing. We need to move the Milton Theatre into a new dimension with fortitude and commitment.

Newlands: The theater is a great friend to the town with wonderful cultural performances and events, but the town can’t ensure the theater’s livelihood since it is a private enterprise. I’d suggest the theater board draw on members of the historical society, library and the community to determine a new direction. A good financial plan needs to be created to show that the theater can sustain operations for years to come. The theatre also needs to reestablish past philanthropic relationships that can ensure the theater’s viability. Those resources need to be tapped.

2. Are you in favor of establishing a Main Street program in Milton? What benefits or problems do you think the program would bring? Please explain your answer.

Post: Milton is no different than many other small U.S. downtowns, and our time to commit in developing a strategic plan is now. The Main Street program is a proven entity and an asset toward breathing new life into downtowns. An important factor in the Main Street program is its community-driven approach with defined strategies specifically tailored to the town. The program provides technical support, financial resources and educational training and specialty programs. Milton’s approach for success is a strong collaboration between the Main Street Program and the Milton Chamber of Commerce, with both organizations located in our town center.

Newlands: The Main Street program is proven to be beneficial to many towns. But I’m not convinced that Milton is ready for a Main Street program, especially during these difficult economic times. I’d like to see more financial information that shows the benefits of a program for towns relevant to our size before committing taxpayers’ monies for the long term. I think our chamber of commerce, the economic development committee, business owners and volunteers from the community can work together to formulate a program, defining Milton’s “Main Street” at little or no expense.

3. What are the top two issues the town faces? What specific steps should be taken to tackle them?

Post: There’s a demanding need to oversee the adherence of regulations by developers to their built communities. There is a lack of responsiveness to residents by their developer and observance of site plans. Strong monitoring and review along with ordinance revisions are needed to assure compliance. Maintaining and repairing our infrastructure is also important. Like periodic repairs to your home, ongoing maintenance of our water lines and streets is fundamental. Seeking external financial resources must be a priority. The establishment of a capital improvement account through the $8,000 per acre impact fee would be one way to offset these costs.

Newlands: In growth, Sussex County is listed as one of the top 10 places to retire by AARP. With several new developments in process, Milton currently has the capacity to accept these retirees and young families, but Milton needs to be receptive to controlled growth. With growth comes business, as these families will frequent local businesses. I think we need to ensure a business-friendly attitude. I hear from a number of business owners who said they had a very difficult time getting a business started in our town. We need to look at what other towns do and learn how we can streamline our process.

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Five candidates in bid for two council seats

Leah Betts
Leah Betts, 77, has served on council for 23 years, currently as vice mayor. Betts also serves on the town’s personnel, streets and sidewalks, and land-acquisition committees. A lifelong Sussex County resident, Betts supports creating light-industrial areas outside town. She also said she would continue to work toward upgrading town sidewalks. Betts said she has been accessible to residents and wants to keep the town and its interaction with residents positive.

Lynn Ekelund
Lynn Ekelund, 58, a retired paralegal professional, said she is running because of her frustration with town officials. Ekelund, a full-time resident since 2004, said she also has concerns with the contract of Milton Town Manager George Dickerson. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Ekelund said she supports the Milton Historical Society and Milton’s small-town atmosphere.

Norma Kraus
Norma Kraus, 78, has been a full-time resident since 2005. She said she would use her positive outlook to rebuild relationships among residents and officials. Kraus served on the Milton Economic Development Committee in 2006, as well as on the neighborhood watch committee. A retired human resources specialist, Kraus worked at a large, multinational corporation for nearly three decades. She said she feels positive about Milton’s future and wants to participate in the decision-making process.

Norman Lester
Norman Lester, 74, is principal of Lester Co. Inc., an in-town accounting firm. Lester said he questions the town’s financial operations and said he would work to improve accounting practices and recording methods. He said taxpayer money needs to be better accounted for through better bookkeeping and more transparent government. Born in London, England, Lester has been a full-time resident since 2004.

Louis Sgro
Louis Sgro, 65, is a retired Philadelphia police officer. Sgro said he’d like to help lead an increasingly diversified population. A full-time resident since 2008, Sgro said he chose to retire in Milton because he was attracted by the town’s small-town character, which he would help to preserve. Sgro said he would work to protect residents’ safety, especially the elderly.

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1. The Milton Theatre, one of the cornerstones of the community, is facing financial difficulty. What, if anything, would you do to ensure the theatre’s livelihood?

Betts: I was on the board the Milton Development Corp. for about 6 1/2 years, so this issue is extremely important to me. I’ve spent countless hours selling ads, seats and volunteering to benefit the theatre. The tough economic times are making demands in all areas of the arts. There are no easy answers. I have been speaking with others in hopes of making beneficial connections financially for the theater. To be investigated, the local colleges may be able to coordinate classes and performances involving the arts. I would also contact other theaters that have made positive strides in their community and seek advice. One project that comes to mind is the terrific turnaround of the Schwartz Center for the Arts in Dover.

Ekelund: The Milton Theatre, built in 1910 and situated in Milton’s historic district, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a vital part of our community. Its current owner is burdened with debt compounded by high operating expenses and badly needed maintenance for the aging structure.

A bailout by the Town of Milton is not the solution to these problems. The theater needs a new owner, an angel who can absorb its debt, finance the completion of its restoration and fund an endowment for future operation, preservation and maintenance. Under new ownership, the historic Milton Theatre will serve as a cultural and community-events venue for many years to come.

Kraus: It is unfortunate that the Milton Theatre is facing financial difficulties when normal sources of gifts, grants and individual donations are scarce, indeed. However, it is necessary to see a bigger picture when seeking solutions to the Milton Theatre’s financial problems. The theater must be seen as not only a cultural keystone of the community, but seen as important to the town’s positive image whether it be from the historic perspective or as a Main Street attraction in any economic development program.

Lester: I struggled with this question because, contrary to some public rumblings, I support the Milton Theatre, as I do all businesses in Milton. However, I am not convinced it is the responsibility of town government to intervene. Of historic significance, the theater structure is worth preserving. Our town already has an economic development committee to work with existing business and potential newcomers. Perhaps this group ought to be charged with working more diligently with the existing board of the theater to work out a realistic plan and move forward in a sensible manner. I heartily wish the theater good luck.

Sgro: Despite the best efforts of dedicated volunteers, the Milton Theatre is facing tough times, not unlike arts centers everywhere. But let me be clear: it is worth saving. Our theater, along with our historical society and our library, are the cornerstones of historic Milton’s downtown – essential to its further development. Clearly, the theater needs funds from outside sources, and I will campaign to make that happen. Working with the theatre staff, I will pursue public-private options, and if necessary, I will call on Vice President Biden, personally, for needed dollars to get us help. We cannot let our historic town assets slip away.

2. Are you in favor of establishing a Main Street program in Milton? What benefits/problems do you think the program would bring? Please explain your answer.

Betts: Yes, I am very much in favor of a Main Street program. It would create a positive impact on the town. However, before committing to such a project, we must examine issues for the positive and negative impacts that the town would encounter. We need to determine the costs, and, more importantly, what our budget may look like in 2011. Consideration must be given to these questions: “What advantage would the Main Street project offer the entire community? Is it fair to take money to finance this instead of financing other projects in the town?”

Ekelund: We want all of our businesses, not just those in the historic district, to be commercially viable. We don’t want vacant storefronts and part-time businesses to outnumber retail stores and restaurants. We want all the benefits the Main Street program purports it can achieve. However, it requires a paid director: for Milton this means $20,000 per year for the next three years. Who pays for the operating expenses, i.e., postage, telephone, office supplies etc.? With our present budget, can we afford this three-year, $60,000-plus commitment for an economic development program that benefits only those businesses in the historic district?

Kraus: The Main Street program, which has a documented 25-year successful economic revitalization track record, capitalizes on the positive image of historic commercial districts’ unique assets to bring in new businesses, engaged in today’s market, as well as expanding existing businesses. I believe, both for the Main Street program and for the preservation of the Milton Theatre to be successful in Milton, local government must take the lead in bringing together all sectors of the community – residents, businesses, financial institutions – so that they may view Milton’s historic assets from the perspective of economic development.

Lester: As stated previously, the town’s economic development committees along with the chamber are the working bodies that search, secure and promote businesses in Milton. If these two programs are working to capacity, I am not convinced that a Main Street program, and the money to fund it, is necessary. However, if we adopt a Main Street program, I believe all businesses in Milton should benefit from their efforts, not strictly those of historic value. I believe this issue warrants closer examination and more community involvement before a decision is made.

Sgro: The nationally recognized Main Street program may be part of the answer for Milton’s renewal, and I remain open to such private-public investment. The Main Street program has a 25-year history and a proven track record of bringing a hefty return for every dollar invested via economic growth and development. I need to see how much money Milton businesses are willing and able to commit in these economic times. I will need to know our tax dollars will not foot the whole bill. This is an investment opportunity for Milton that needs to be pursued.

3. What are the top two issues the town faces? What specific steps should be taken to tackle them?

Betts: We, as council, and leaders of the community need to pull together and gain back the confidence of citizens. It is critical that we all work together in a positive manner. Personal issues need to be avoided in discussions, and we need to be user-friendly and not make doing business with our town for the average person difficult.

As chairwoman of the streets and sidewalks committee, we need to move forward to establish a workable plan for new sidewalks for those who find it a hardship to fulfill their financial obligations. We also need to protect our community by ensuring developers complete their projects in a reasonable time frame. I’m concerned and hope that we can solve the flooding of the streets in the future.

Ekelund: The two pressing issues facing Milton are continued reliance upon diminishing state and county monies (including Municipal Street Aid, police grants and transfer taxes) to balance our budget and the recent increase in crime.

I recommend reinstating the finance committee, an oversight and advisory body comprised of financially astute citizens to be chaired, hopefully, by Councilman Norman Lester, CPA.
I also recommend maintaining funding for the current 10-member police force and providing adequate street lighting in Shipbuilder’s Village as a crime deterrent. I also recommend we support and strengthen the eyes and ears of the police, the neighborhood watch program, and implement a vacant-building registry to identify potential targets of crime.

Kraus: My foremost issue is the upcoming election, which will decide who leads, or more importantly – positively continues to lead – Milton towards economic growth, improved infrastructure and a better quality of life. In fact, many new businesses have been attracted to Milton because it is now known as a beautiful, business-friendly and less costly place to operate.

My second issue concerns negative campaigns. A minority of candidates that are running “letters to the editor” campaigns are negative, single-issue people without a positive program that can be brought to town government. Trying to erase the positive strides that Milton has legitimately made in its image scarcely qualifies anyone for town leadership.

Lester: My first concern is fiscal reporting. Financial reports should be clear and consistent. Moreover, they should be produced accurately and timely by the town staff, which was hired to do so. Accounting programs are formulated to do this in an efficient manner, and, if used properly, can produce reports that give a clear picture of the town’s financial position.

My second concern is the Milton Town Hall – town hall should be a friendly, open place where all residents and potential business owners are welcomed. Clear guidelines, forms and ordinances should be available to expedite matters, whether it concerns licensing, property improvement or other issues involving adherence to town charter, code enforcement and other town procedures.

Sgro: Every issue impacting the lives of Miltonians is important, but I’ll focus on those that affect Milton’s economic survival and growth. First, we need to be vigilant that rezoned acreage in and around our beautiful town of Milton follows the trends of smart growth and does not compromise our way of life.

Remaining business friendly means taking care of our existing businesses while doing everything possible to attract new businesses. It is critical that our remaining empty storefronts are soon filled. Second, I want to see the Town of Milton be very sparing in spending our rainy day fund. Let’s be sure to keep it as a safeguard against unforeseen emergencies.

Town of Milton meeting agendas, codes: ci.milton.de.us