Hudson hopes experience, balanced approach win another term
Doug Hudson hopes his 50 years of public service and balanced approach toward housing development will win him a third Sussex County Council term despite a movement to change leadership to limit growth.
Construction of large housing developments in rural areas of the county in recent years has burdened roads, schools, healthcare providers, emergency services and the environment.
That has galvanized environmentalists and others opposed to the trend to use the ballot box to put the brakes on development in Sussex County.
Three of the five council seats turned over in the 2024 elections as newcomers calling for limits defeated three incumbents.
Hudson and John Rieley, who joined the council with Hudson in 2018, will face their first challenges this fall since that 2024 Election Day sweep. They are seeking their third four-year terms.
Hudson, who represents District 5 and is in his second year as council president, said he emphasizes a balanced approach to development.
There is a need for more housing for existing residents and waves of newcomers, many of them retirees seeking cheaper taxes in and near beach communities, the Republican said.
“People want to move here and enjoy our way of life,” Hudson said. “It’s hard to say no to people who want to move here.”
But he said housing proposals need to be supported by roads and other infrastructure, noting he has opposed some plans that lacked those components.
Hudson gave as an example a proposal made several years ago to build a 7-Eleven convenience store on Route 24 in Angola, which he opposed. He said he objected because road improvements were not expected for years, and the plan included gas pumps not far from a waterway.
“It’s important for me to have the infrastructure in place or coming,” Hudson said.
The county needs more affordable housing, and projects that include both housing and commercial development, where people live near jobs and shopping, he said.
Hudson noted housing subdivisions are decided by the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission, although there is a common misconception that the council is responsible for controlling all development. The council has final say on zoning changes and conditional uses. Both the commission and council must make decisions based on existing county law, Hudson said.
In response to pressure to limit housing development, the council early last year formed a Land Use Reform Working Group. Seven months of meetings ended with 20 recommendations to shift housing developments out of rural areas; encourage more types of housing, including affordable housing; protect the environment; and improve standards for development projects.
The council has begun the review process for four ordinances to accomplish some of the goals, and work is anticipated on the rest.
“Going into my second year as president, I try to lead by example, [with] a level-headed and thoughtful approach,” Hudson said.
He said he and Rieley work well with the newer council members.
Hudson has been in public service since age 16, when he joined the Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Company. He rose through the ranks, serving as lieutenant, assistant chief, chief in 1986 and ‘87, and later vice president.
He became a state trooper in March 1984 and retired at the rank of sergeant in 2011, working at Troop 4 in Georgetown.
During high school and afterward, Hudson worked in construction before joining the state police. He received a criminal justice degree from Delaware Technical Community College and took courses at Wilmington College.
He has also worked in real estate, most recently helping retired police officers and firefighters looking to relocate to Sussex County.
Hudson and his wife, Dr. LouAnn Hudson, live near Dagsboro and have an adult son.
Hudson said Councilman George Cole asked him to take a seat on the county planning & zoning commission in 2016. He said it gave him an important foundation to run for council after three years.
No other candidate has filed to run against Hudson as of April 6, but Hudson said he plans to campaign regardless.
“I look at politics as public service,” said Hudson, who found politics a natural progression based on his previous experiences.
“I have a lot of experience coming into this election,” he said. “My P&Z time and my time on the council and my experience with public safety are unmatched.”
Kevin Conlon came to the Cape Gazette with nearly 40 years of newspaper experience since graduating from St. Bonaventure University in New York with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. He reports on Sussex County government and other assignments as needed.
His career spans working as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in upstate New York, including The Daily Gazette in Schenectady. He comes to the Cape Gazette from the Cortland Standard, where he was an editor for more than 25 years, and in recent years also contributed as a columnist and opinion page writer. He and his staff won regional and state writing awards.
Conlon was relocating to Lewes when he came across an advertisement for a reporter job at the Cape Gazette, and the decision to pursue it paid off. His new position gives him an opportunity to stay in a career that he loves, covering local news for an independently owned newspaper.
Conlon is the father of seven children and grandfather to two young boys. In his spare time, he trains for and competes in triathlons and other races. Now settling into the Cape Region, he is searching out hilly trails and roads with wide shoulders. He is a fan of St. Bonaventure sports, especially rugby and basketball, as well as following the Mets, Steelers and Celtics.
