Tomorrow’s Rehoboth Beach election is a crucial one, perhaps the most crucial in many years.
It is all about our values. I invite you to ask - who shares your values, the values that will move us forward to create the Rehoboth Beach we want to live in, work in, and visit?
The chief value we all share is our community: a welcoming, friendly, safe, clean community where people want to live, work and visit. COVID-19 has dealt us a severe blow, and our elected officials have not responded well. Only when our residents, business owners, property owners and visitors know we are a safe, healthy community, can we rebuild a healthy economy. It must be our top priority.
We value the character of our city. Every candidate says they want to keep the charm and character of Rehoboth Beach, but as you prepare to vote, ask yourself - who has worked to protect and keep what makes us special, to keep our beautiful, walkable neighborhoods in scale, and prevent overbuilding? Who has been a champion for protecting our precious natural resources? And who, on the other hand, favors rules that pave the way for bigger commercial developments, which will bring more cars, traffic and overcrowding?
We value citizen participation in our government. I designed and implemented more public input programs than any other candidate, and I am proud of my record as one who truly listens to the voices of our citizens.
We value fiscal responsibility. Especially in the time of limited resources due to COVID-19, we must differentiate between our needs and our wants, and avoid undue burden on our residents and property owners. My record of financial management speaks for itself.
And, most of all, we value facts and truth. Earlier this week, another candidate running for office ran an ad in the Cape Gazette containing falsehoods about me. He made allegations about my campaign that have absolutely no basis in fact, and he couldn’t be bothered to look up our city election records that show I was elected in 2004, 2012 and 2015. Instead he just chose to publish outright lies.
This is unconscionable for someone asking for the public trust, and any candidate who deliberately lies to the public like that should be solidly rejected by our citizens.
You know I share your values. You know from my record of service to you on the planning commission and the city Ccommission that I will fight for these values.
I humbly ask for your vote tomorrow to continue that record of service. I look forward to once again standing before you to swear that I “freely acknowledge[ing] that the powers of this office flow from the people I am privileged to represent. I further swear always to place the public interests above any special or personal interests, and to respect the right of future generations to share the rich historic and natural heritage of Delaware.”
I promise to live up to this oath of office every day I am privileged to be your commissioner. Thank you for your support
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