I encourage everyone to google Mark G. Schaeffer for more information not revealed to date about his character. Mark Schaeffer’s past actions as alleged in a letter to the Cape Gazette, with references to various newspaper articles, make me question his character as a public servant. The Cape Gazette reported in 2016 that he as was arrested for drunk driving. Earlier, in Smyrna disagreements with a fellow council member escalated to the extent that a search found the harassing blog on a computer in Schaeffer’s home.
Mr. Schaeffer claims to be interested in “preserving our open space and creating more opportunities for preservation,” but his campaign contributions reveal that several families heavily involved in building and land development have given the maximum, seeming to contradict his statements. As a public servant, Mark Schaeffer has a conflict of interest with his occupation as realtor with Long and Foster, when so many issues before the council relate to well-managed development.
The Cape Gazette, The News Journal and other media sources covered his scandal while serving with the DRBA (1990 to 2001) when a federal investigation revealed that Schaeffer, along with fellow commissioners on the Delaware River and Bay Authority (owners of the ferry and Delaware Memorial Bridge operations) were required to repay thousands of dollars used for travel/leisure, a scandal for which the head commissioner went to prison.
As mayor of Smyrna, Schaeffer won by two absentee ballots, ballots which he personally handed out, and the ensuing fracas resulted in the tightening of a state law. I question Mr. Schaeffer’s ability to put being a public servant ahead of careerism.
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