The big money bills were voted on in the last week of the legislative session, and for those municipal leaders, community advocates and activists looking for state funding to address critical needs in the Cape Region, they will all have to wait til at least next year.
Everyone is allowed to get another chance, and after a disappointing start last year in a new job, many in eastern Sussex County were more than willing to give newly elected Sen. Russ Huxtable another chance to deliver key funding and support back to his district at his second attempt to do so. Upon reading the grant-in-aid bill and especially the bond bill for capital projects, it seems as though either the math was just too tough for Huxtable to figure out or his voice remained silent when it was time to make the ask, but regardless, the fastest-growing region in the state lost out when it came to the funding and support for critical infrastructure and addressing capacity needs.
For years, a bipartisan team, led by Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf and Joint Finance Committee member Sen. Ernie Lopez, punched above their weight on a bipartisan basis for our area. The school district was given full support, and local towns had real partners and advocates serving on their behalf in Pete and Ernie. More importantly, everyday citizens and nonprofit leaders and volunteers were given the time and trust to be heard and respected by their legislative delegation.
Times have certainly changed, and sadly the entire Cape Region has fallen behind the curve due to the lack of energy and bipartisan effort from Huxtable. His inability to bring people together and convene stakeholders has left a need that is currently not being met. Hopefully, voters realize how much we have lost and make the needed change here locally at the ballot box in November to get more bipartisanship and balance back at the local leadership table.
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