New issue grows, but will it bear fruit?

This spring a fresh political issue sprouted in the District 5 race for Sussex County Council.

Brad Connor, one of two Democrats running, began talking about adopting a code of ethics for Sussex County officials and employees.

The idea gained traction, enough so that the other three candidates in the race, Democrats and Republicans alike, all jumped on the bandwagon.

Not that there wasn’t some disagreement. Connor called for Sussex to adopt its own code. Incumbent Vance Phillips, a Republican who has served 16 years on council, adroitly co-opted the issue by asking the state Public Integrity Commission to speak before Sussex County Council about the state code, which the county technically falls under.

That was the first time Sussex County had shown any interest in the state code, which it has all but ignored for the past 20 years.

And the issue all began with one man and one letter to the editor, which was printed in the Cape Gazette and other papers.

This spring, William F. Moyer, who was born in Beebe Hospital and grew up in Laurel, wrote a letter calling attention to what he saw as a conflict of interest in county government. In the letter he said that because Sussex lacked a code of conduct (or ethics), there was no way to hold officials accountable.

Connor, who said he never considered a Sussex code of ethics before Moyer’s letter, took notice of the issue and ran with it.

Now, no matter who wins today’s primary, there’s at least a chance - given sufficient public pressure - the county will take the idea of code of ethics seriously.

For Moyer, it’s about time.

“I think it’s inexcusable for a county to operate a government for the people without having a code of ethics which governs how they handle themselves,” said Moyer. “It’s a dereliction of duty.”

Moyer, who received a graduate degree in environmental engineering from the University of Florida before a career in DNREC, sees a code of ethics as a necessary step toward making better land-use decisions.

As it stands now, officials can make decisions from which they could benefit. A code of ethics would require officials to list their financial interests and sources of income.

In an earlier interview, Bob Wheatley, current chairman of the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission and a business development director at The Whayland Company, a construction management firm, addressed this issue. He said he didn’t vote on matters from which he would benefit directly.

He also said that a commission consisting only of people with no potential financial interests would be limited to the unemployed. (Wheatley, a Democrat, is running in today’s primary against Connor. He has said he prefers the county following the state code as opposed to developing its own.)

There is some truth to Wheatley’s point. With development playing such a large role in the Sussex economy, many business people would have potential conflicts of interest. Realtors, sign-makers, lumber yards, construction companies, etc., all benefit from real estate development.

Obviously, you wouldn’t want to prevent all these people from serving on Planning & Zoning. Many have valuable expertise on the issues that come before the commission. But a code of ethics would help provide transparency.

Moyer fears that without a code of ethics and better land-use planning, Sussex stands to lose much of its natural heritage.

He sees the county going down the path of so many other areas around the country that were once jewels.

“County governments don’t follow land-use plans, and eventually it all goes to hell in a handbasket,” he said.

He has special concern about the Inland Bays of Rehoboth, Indian River and Little Assawoman. According to a 2011 report by Chris Bason of the Center for the Inland Bays, the bays support few grasses or oysters and in many areas lack sufficient oxygen.

But, Moyer said, the county has shown little interest in restoring the bays, citing its fight against wider buffers, which are natural areas that help filter pollutants before they reach the Inland Bays and other bodies of water.

“I don’t know how a county government that realizes the economic importance of the Inland Bays to the health of the economy of Sussex County can sit by and not do anything about it,” he said.

But, he said, if the public doesn’t get on their elected officials, he doesn’t expect the county to change course. A first step in that direction would be following a code of ethics.

Primary Day for District 5

Today (Tuesday) is Primary Day for the District 5 County Council race. The vote today will decide which two candidates meet in the Nov. 4 General Election. The two Democrats are Connor of Dagsboro and Wheatley of Laurel. For the Republicans, Rob Arlett of Frankford is challenging Vance Phillips of Laurel.

District 5 lies at the bottom of Sussex, stretching from the Maryland line in the west to the South Bethany shore in the east. It includes the towns of Dagsboro, Delmar, Frankford, Millsboro, Selbyville and unincorporated areas near Laurel.