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Hopkins doesn’t do his homework

September 9, 2022

Republican voters in Sussex County Council’s 5th District will decide a primary race that could significantly impact our future. John Rieley is the better Republican choice. Councilman Rieley is honorable and decent. He cares about Sussex, listens and works hard. There are times that I may not agree with his views, but I always respect his integrity and commitment to public service.

Keller Hopkins is not the right choice for Sussex.

He doesn’t do his homework. The detailed county budget is easily accessible online. In a recent radio debate, he balked at the idea of reviewing it, calling it a 500-page burden, too great to handle on his own. He wants to wait until elected to bring in an expert to help him make sense of it. Meanwhile, he asks questions that doing his homework would answer. When the affordable rental ordinance was introduced to P&Z, Commissioner Hopkins congratulated himself for reading the first 20 pages of an 84-page report. None of this instills confidence.

Second, Mr. Hopkins will urbanize the Route 1 corridor, Milford to Milton, with high-density residential and commercial development, notwithstanding the massive burden this would impose on the community and ecologically sensitive land. His definition of density? Look no further than P&Z’s discussion on affordable rentals where he exclaimed that 12 units to the acre did not go far enough, it needed to be juiced up! Mr. Hopkins, and Councilman Schaeffer who endorses him, argue for higher density under the guise of preventing rural sprawl. Yet, when asked how they would keep rural farmers from selling and developing rural agricultural land to stop that sprawl, both fess up that they would never turn down those rural applications. The truth is, they’re not going to stop sprawl. They’re just going to build more.

Third, Keller seeded his campaign with $163,000 in personal loans, an astounding amount for a local race. And, if his financial reports showing 11 donors are any indication, he is not actively fundraising. Who deploys that kind of money without some fundraising effort to recoup it? Could it be because it’s already backstopped by those who stand to gain from his election? Delaware does allow post-election campaign contributions, an easy way to mask committed backers until after the election. What a kick in the anatomy that would be!

Finally, if you listened closely at hearings, you would have heard comments and phrasing by Mr. Hopkins that were often eerily similar to a local developer’s comments. Coincidence? Not likely. There is a wealthy group of careful-not-to-be-named developers and related entities – special interests with clear plans for intense development looking to get wealthier – playing the long game to get Schaeffer in place, and now Hopkins. With Councilwoman Green already following Schaeffer’s lead, Hopkins’ election in November would secure the third vote needed to gain majority control of county council. Let’s not give them that chance. I couldn’t imagine a worse outcome for Sussex.

Patti Drago
Lewes

 

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