Seitz to step down from Dewey council

An Dewey Beach commissioner says he is stepping aside and hopes to give someone else the opportunity to serve the small town with a big personality.  Commissioner Marty Seitz, who has held the office since 2008, said he would not seek re-election in September.

When his term is over, Seitz said, he plans to spend more time with his grandchildren, play more tennis and volunteer with his wife, Marilyn, who runs Pennyworth Shop, a thrift store in Silver Spring, Md., where the couple live full time.

Since he first took office, Seitz said, “The tenor has escalated in a lot of ways.”  He noted town elections have become more costly than in previous years and said the amount of money he would need to spend on a re-election campaign is more than he would want to spend and more than he would ask anyone to give.

But some aspects of town council have remained the same during Seitz’s tenure, he said.  “The ideas and the personalities still prevail,” he said.

Seitz was appointed secretary of town council when he was re-elected two years ago. While in office, he oversaw the readdressing of the town, bringing Dewey Beach up to par with emergency-response addressing standards.

Seitz’s background in science made him instrumental in enacting the town’s noise ordinance.  He worked for Booz Allen Hamilton in Belcamp, Md., for 20 years helping clients develop technical programs and later working in the company’s department of energy.

Using his background, Seitz said, he explained logarithmic decibel levels to town officials to help enforce the noise ordinance.  “To get measurements that are technically substantiated,” he said.  Seitz said the levels would hold up if challenged in court.

“This ordinance should become a good example of how the business and residential communities can work together in Dewey Beach,” Seitz said.  When his term is up, Seitz said, he would consider joining the noise committee to continue his volunteer work in Dewey Beach.

Seitz said he is not endorsing any candidates yet, but he plans to be involved in campaigns leading up to the Saturday, Sept. 15 election.

“I am encouraging eligible voters to step forward who have the homeowners' best interests at heart. People who will respect their fellow commissioners,” Seitz said.  “There’re a lot of people who would be good candidates.”

The deadline to file for office in Dewey Beach is Thursday, Aug. 16.  For more information, visit Dewey Beach Town Hall at 105 Rodney Ave.