In less than 30 days, on June 30, three seats on the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission will be open for nomination. They are the seats of Kim Hoey Stevenson of District 3 (Slaughter Beach, Lewes, Dewey and Rehoboth Beach), Keller Hopkins of District 5 (Georgetown, Millsboro, Cool Spring and Harbeson), and Bruce Mears, who is doubled in District 4 with Holly Wingate (Bethany Beach, Frankford, Millville, Ocean View, Fenwick and Selbyville). Wingate’s term ends in 2026. Due to redistricting, there is no commissioner for District 2, and District 2 is open. District 2 is Greenwood, Bridgeville and Ellendale. The seats are nominated by Sussex County Council, respective to their districts, Mark Schaeffer in District 3, John Rieley in District 5, Doug Hudson in District 4 and Cindy Green, District 2. Green will be nominating a candidate for District 2, and District 4 will possibly go back to having just Wingate as its lone commissioner. The nominee must apply by calling their county council representative and be interviewed. Then at a county council meeting, the candidate must receive three votes from council members to win the seat and become a commissioner.
In 2024, three Sussex County Council seats will be up for election – Mark Schaeffer in District 3, Michael Vincent in District 1 (Laurel and Seaford area) and Cindy Green in District 2. This is a regular election with a primary in September and general election in November. Elected officials take office the first council meeting of January 2025. Vincent is 78 years old and may not run again. If he doesn’t, council president and the District 1 seat would be vacant.
This is your opportunity as a resident to apply for a position either on the planning & zoning commission or county council, where you can help your fellow residents of Sussex County by becoming a public servant. Call your respective council member and have an interview today. We desperately need forward thinkers on our planning & zoning commission and our county council to work on completing a much clearer cluster subdivision plan and deciphering the zoning language to save what little is left of our beautiful Sussex County.
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