Marasco ready to lead in Lewes

Amy Marasco sat in city council chambers in front of one of her pet projects: a tapestry of 500 felt footprints, each containing an environmental message from students to the City of Lewes.

She began the project when she chaired the Lewes Planning Commission’s Environmental Subcommittee as a way of getting students – and adults – engaged in public service.

“It was a different way to seek public comment. Would we have gotten 500 comments on the environment? No, probably not,” Marasco said.

Marasco, who is about to be sworn in as the first female mayor in the city’s history, has many more ideas for getting citizens involved. She will take the oath of office at noon, Wednesday, May 21, at the Rollins Center.

A Taste of Lewes reception will follow, featuring food from local restaurants.

The next day, Marasco will gavel her first meeting.

She said she plans to announce a series of initiatives designed to create more engagement. Marasco calls it “bite-sized public service.”

“I’m going to set up a lot of ad hoc working groups. They will be sunsetted. So, they will have a task and they will be done in 30 to 90 days,” she said. “My goal is twofold: Let’s get some things solved and, secondly, maybe people catch the bug of public service and say, you know, ‘I could do this.’”

Marasco said she is not sure if the working group meetings will be public and subject to Freedom of Information Act guidelines. But, she is planning other initiatives to reach everyone:

• Coffee with Council at the Nethouse May 22 through June 26, then resuming in the fall

• Mayor at the Market on the first Saturday of the month from July through September at the Historic Lewes Farmers Market. Other council members and city staff might join

• Food bank drop-off in the city hall lobby.

She said she also wants to launch a full committee on the environment and resiliency.

“I don’t want citizens to just react to an ordinance or a proposal; I want to get their thoughts earlier on, so we can craft something that’s more responsive,” she said.

Marasco moved to Lewes full time in 2021. She cut her teeth on the planning commission and the environmental subcommittee.

Marasco is credited with getting several ordinances passed, including elevated freeboard, wetland buffers, and definitions of pervious and impervious materials.

She then co-chaired the city’s financial stewardship subcommittee, which developed the city’s first multi-year budget process.

Marasco said starting on the planning commission helped her learn about the city’s code, which was critical to running for council.

She was elected in an uncontested election in 2024 to take over the seat vacated by Councilwoman Carolyn Jones, who retired.

Marasco once served as vice mayor of a small town in Virginia, but she said she never planned to run for the top job in Lewes.

“The current mayor has done a great job. I would never have run against him. But when he shared with individual council members that he decided not to run, I thought, ‘Now is the time. Why not?’” she said.

Marasco said she is ready to tackle some of the outstanding issues and projects:

• Army Reserve Center : “This has to be a priority. It can be a treasure, a gateway property. It would be smart to hire a project manager to look at all aspects – environmental, financial and construction. I’ll be very happy if in three years we have a plan that’s up and running”

• Savannah Road corridor: “The corridor is too critical for all of Lewes. It’s the nexus of all that property – the bike lane, the pedestrian crossing, maybe there is some parking for the brewery that could happen. I will sit on the team that is doing the traffic operational analysis”

• Donovan-Smith Manufactured Home Park: “I can’t comment on the conditional-use application, but that community needs the same level of attention as other neighborhoods. The residents need to feel that they’re part of the community. I’ll continue with the commitments made by previous councils”

• Board of Public Works: “I’ve always had a positive experience and a good working relationship with BPW. I want that to continue.”

One of Marasco’s first tasks will be to appoint a new member of council to take the seat she is vacating. She said she is looking for someone with experience on committees.

“This is the most critical appointment I’ll make, so I want to make sure council is very supportive of the candidates,” she said.

Marasco said she has vetted 10 candidates and narrowed the list to two. She is not willing to reveal their names.

She said she is humbled to be the city’s first female mayor.

“It’s important for young women to see women at all levels of government, so there’s no glass ceiling. I was the first woman in a lot of organizations in the ’80s and ’90s.”

Marasco said she is excited to start her three-year term.

“I hope I’m remembered for robust citizen engagement and good governance,” she said. “The environment and economic sustainability are areas of expertise and passion. But, if someone could say, ‘When Amy was mayor, we knew we were all welcome in city hall with different views, I would feel very proud of that.’”

Williams leaves, defends city’s racial history

Mayor Andrew Williams took the gavel for the final time at the May 12 mayor and city council meeting. City council presented him with a proclamation honoring his five years of public service.

Deputy Mayor Khalil Saliba said Williams cares deeply about the city.

“He is raising two boys; his wife, Rita, is an accomplished professional; he is working full time; and, yet, he is doing everything in his power to manage and lead the city,” Saliba said.

Williams served on city council for two years before running for mayor. He defeated incumbent Mayor Ted Becker in 2022 in the city’s last contested election.

Williams decided not to seek re-election, citing personal, family and financial reasons.

“The assertion that we’re in the pockets of developers is ridiculous,” he said. “One of the reasons I have to step away is I have a son that’s going to college and I need to make more money. If this were lucrative, I’d stay right here. The people up here do it for the love of their community and nothing else.”

Williams said he will continue to give to the community, and might even return to public service in the future.

“I don’t know if I’d run for mayor again, maybe council or serve on a committee. I’m not saying this is the end of the road,” he said.

Near the end of the meeting, Williams was forced to address racial accusations made by Lewes resident Alicia Jones, who is an active volunteer in the community.

Williams and Jones had a heated exchange.

Among her claims was that the city has kept her off committees and commissions even though she is qualified. She said Williams suggested that she serve on the city’s African American heritage commission because she is Black.

Williams denied that he ever made that suggestion.

Jones also suggested that the city had Historic Lewes, formerly the Lewes Historical Society, take over a project that Jones was managing – the placing of a historic marker at the Black Harry Spring on Pilottown Road. 

Williams said that the city gave Jones permission to proceed with the project earlier this year and that Historic Lewes’ involvement is not a barrier.

In the final minutes of his final meeting, Williams was forced to play defense.

“I don’t make decisions in my life based on someone’s skin color,” Williams said. “The idea that Lewes is a racist town is a false narrative. We’ve heard it directly from the African American population. Lewes was unique in that way. That’s why it’s offensive. I don’t like when people bring their baggage here. You came to live in this community, an accepting community. Sure, there’s not as much color as we’d like to be here, but there’s lots of diversity in many different ways.”