Four candidates run for two Milton council seats

Four candidates have filed to run for two Milton Town Council seats in the town’s municipal election to be held Saturday, March 7.

Running for election this year will be incumbents Emory West and Rich Baty, and Milton residents and newcomers to elective politics, Randi Meredith and John Klein.

Klein and Meredith both say they want to inject some youth on the council, where West is the youngest member at 66.

Klein, 38, said he decided to run because he wants to preserve Milton’s character and prevent overdevelopment. Klein, who works at Revelation Craft Brewing, said he also wanted to see younger people get more involved in the town. 

A native Delawarean, Klein has lived in Milton on and off for his entire life, but he said he was concerned about the direction of the town. It’s geared more to an older crowd, he said. 

“I think I can help improve things in town,” Klein said.

Meredith, 39, moved to Milton in 2010. She said she was motivated to run after watching Milton Theatre’s Zombie Fest move to Dewey Beach. She said she did not feel like the town showed much trust in the theater to put on a good event or understand the event’s importance. Meredith said she would like to bring Zombie Fest back and also provide diversity on council, both in age and in gender. The current council is all men.

In addition to bringing back Zombie Fest, Meredith said she also wants to address pedestrian issues. She said she would like to see the town seek grants to fill out its sidewalk network. 

A native of Shamokin in central Pennsylvania’s coal country, Meredith moved to Delaware with her husband, Eban Brittingham, when he was at Béseme restaurant in Lewes. The two met at the annual Bridge Day at New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. They have two daughters, Pepper and Azalea.

Baty, 81, is council treasurer and says if elected to his second term, it will be his final one. He said he favors term limits, so in what would be his final term, he wants to set the town up for success in the future. 

He said making sure the town’s finances are in order is important, while he would like to see the council focus on implementing the comprehensive development plan and integrating it with the town’s sustainability plan

“I’ve enjoyed what I’ve been doing,” Baty said.

A native of North Bergen, N.J., Baty spent most his career in the information technology sector before spending eight years as a realtor in Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Eileen, retired to Milton to be closer to the rest of their family. He was first elected to the council in 2017. 

West, 66, is a lifelong Miltonian who says his main reason for running is to continue to help people.

“I enjoy serving the people. This is my ninth year, and this term would be 12. I grew up taught to help people. I love working with town staff, and this council is the best council I’ve been on because of the cohesion we have,” West said.

Chairman of the streets, sidewalks and parks committee, West said he wants to continue to develop the town’s pedestrian network, improve the town’s water infrastructure and possibly dredge the Broadkill River to reduce flooding issues downtown. He said he is proud of his work on Concerts In The Park, and that if reelected, he is looking forward to dedicating the pavilion in the park to his friend, fellow Councilman Charlie Fleetwood. 

“On this council, even if we don’t agree, we come to common ground, and we can discuss it in a healthy manner. That’s what I want to keep doing,” he said. 

West spent 28 years working at Delaware Department of Transportation before retiring in 2012. He is running for his third term on the council.

Town council unanimously approved the board of elections and election officers Jan. 21.

Larry Savage will serve as election inspector with Robert Frazier as the alternate. Judges monitoring the polls will be Karen Young, Bette McGrath, Helen Camenisch and John Schwanky with Pamela Batten as the alternate judge.

Election officers will be Douglas Welch, Bob Burakiewicz, Ken Kaye, Lynn Ekelun, Allen Sangree and Paula Costanza. 

The deadline to register to vote in Milton’s municipal election is Thursday, Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. For more information, go to milton.delaware.gov/election-information.