Making choices in the Rehoboth Beach election
Rehoboth Beach voters go to the polls Saturday, Aug. 13, to elect their mayor and two commissioners. For the mayor’s post, incumbent Sam Cooper is seeking his eighth three-year term after several years as commissioner. Tom McGlone, in his first shot at elected office, seeks to unseat Cooper from the post. The job brings an annual salary of $999.
A lifelong resident and business owner, Cooper sees himself as leading a well-oiled machine of effective managers and employees that has Rehoboth Beach functioning well and looking good. It’s hard to argue the concrete accomplishments during the Cooper years: a multimillion dollar Streetscape project, a new Boardwalk, and a new bridge over Lake Gerar among others. Rehoboth Beach has also received positive national recognition for the quality of its ocean swimming water and Boardwalk. The rezoning of the Rehoboth school property to preserve that open space also ranks high. Such accomplishments and recognition come only with attention, pertinent knowledge and perseverance.
McGlone, with a perspective not so deeply ingrained in the fabric of Rehoboth Beach, sees – despite the accomplishments – an administration that has grown comfortable with its power and without the need to be more customer friendly, communicative and sensitive to political issues between the city bureaucracy and its constituents. Concerns about code enforcement in general and lingering resentment over the city’s bungled noise ordinance enforcement last fall top the list.
No situation is ever perfect, but on balance Cooper’s experience, accomplishments, unparalleled knowledge of Rehoboth’s history and workings, and the beneficial connections he has developed at the county, state and federal level, make him a clear choice over McGlone, who aspires to leap from no known civic activity to the city’s top elected position. Especially with the important ocean outfall project pending, which Cooper has been shepherding for years, the city is fortunate to have someone with such expertise and knowledge willing to invest so much time for so little on behalf of his home town.
At the commissioners’ level, incumbent Lorraine Zellers and challengers Mark Hunker and Rich Kirchoff offer three good choices to voters. What discernible edge there is goes to Zellers and Kirchoff. Zellers has been a positive, dedicated and active nonresident commissioner and has the advantage of three years of experience. Kirchoff and Hunker both own and operate businesses in Rehoboth and show great concern for the long-term health of the city. However, Kirchoff, who lives and works year-round in Rehoboth, brings that advantage over Hunker who lives and works elsewhere and would be serving as a nonresident commissioner.
