Stevens enters Dewey commissioner race

Dewey Beach resident Bill Stevens has thrown his hat into the ring for commissioner, making it a three-person race for two open seats with six days until the filing deadline.

In a statement issued after he filed election paperwork Aug. 20, Stevens said he will work to unify residents, property owners and businesses as they navigate through COVID-19’s effects on the town.

Stevens said he will increase communication to keep property owners informed, and he will improve property values by designing programs that provide sustainable resources and allow infrastructure investments, while ensuring the reasons property owners purchased in the area to begin with are not negatively affected. 

“Whether that is the beach, the bay, the nightlife or the ability for residents to take their dogs on a walk on the beach during the appropriate hours,” he stated.

By working with lifeguards and police, Stevens said, he will help maintain public safety on town streets and beaches.

Stevens moved to Dewey full time this spring; he and wife Janine have owned property since 2017. 

With a background in business, accounting and auditing, he has served as a chief financial officer and human resources advisor for small companies. He has a master’s degree in accounting and a bachelor’s degree in finance.

In 2019, Stevens sold his business to his current employer, Diversified Insurance Industries, where he now serves as CFO/advisor and as a licensed producer in Delaware for employee benefits and property and casualty insurance.

Incumbent Commissioners David Moskowitz and Gary Persinger have also filed to run. The three candidates first met in 2018, when Persinger and Moskowitz won with 405 and 302 total votes, respectively, to Stevens’ 227 total votes.

Since then, Stevens has taken an active volunteer role with the town, serving as chair of the budget and finance committee, and as a member of the investment and audit committees. Wife Janine is on the town marketing committee and on the search committee for a new town manager.

Peter Briccotto, who announced his intention to run on July 22, said in an Aug. 19 email that he would file election paperwork the week of Aug. 24.

The deadline for candidate filing and voter registration is 5 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27. Eligible voters may vote by absentee ballot or in person. 

The election will be held 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, in the Dewey Beach Lifesaving Station, 1 Dagsworthy Ave. For more information, call Town Hall at 302-227-6363.