At the request of the mayor, I drafted the Lewes nonprofit grant program for the Lewes Finance Committee, which after public hearings was approved by mayor and city council in 2025. It was specifically designed to prevent conflicts of interest that historically arose when people asked one councilperson for taxpayer financial support for their project. It was designed and much needed to prevent conflicts or even the appearance of impropriety and to assure Lewes taxpayers that MCC was acting as financial stewards of their money.

Another purpose of the program was to set guidelines for the use of taxpayer money. I advocated the money should only go to Lewes nonprofits providing programs for Lewes. Also mindful of the constitution’s separation of church and state, I advocated not funding church-sponsored activities.

Yet, this week Deputy Mayor Khalil Saliba asked to use city funds to pay for a sponsorship of an outrigger for the Lewes Yacht Club. The MCC said yes, with one no vote.

Until Councilperson Tim Ritzert asked, Saliba failed to mention the boat race is run by a national religious-based organization. If the yacht club had applied in the normal course for this request, our program guidelines would prevent its application.

The mayor said this was not a grant but a sponsorship, so it didn’t fall within the program. Yet, when questioned where in the budget the funding would come from, she said it was the few thousand dollars from the raise she declined that MCC had voted for themselves last year.

City budgets are legally binding spending plans. When an official declines or waives a budgeted salary increase, that unclaimed money typically stays in the general operating budget unless city council votes to amend the budget and reallocate it.

Without the program, elected officials handing out taxpayer money when someone pulls their sleeve creates the appearance of a slush fund. Grant or sponsorship, the appearance of impropriety doesn’t go away. Simply because a mayor doesn't take a raise doesn't necessarily follow that she can then give those monies to a pet project.

Freedom of moral choice imposes on us a responsibility. Even if MCC can do this, should they? Does subsidizing the boat of the private yacht club really reflect Lewes values, especially when there are food pantries that are bare?