Fresh faces to serve on Milton council

Milton Town Council will have a new look this spring when two new members will begin their terms.

Councilwomen Deanna Duby and Mary Hudson did not file for re-election to their seats in the March election, and four challengers will vie for the open two seats. John Booros, Gwendolyn Jones, George Kevin Kelly and Kristin Patterson will campaign over the next two months for election in the Saturday, March 3, town council election.

John Booros

A Sussex Countian for 20 years, Booros bought an abandoned historic home in Milton in 2007, which he has since restored. He is a member of the parks and recreation committee and a subcommittee of the economic development committee.

He said he was motivated to run by the number of unkept promises among current council members.

“I supported the mayor in his campaign two years ago, and he had a lot of goals to achieve,” he said. “Going over his campaign literature recently I realized very few of them, if any, have been [accomplished]. He's done interesting things, but the things I was supporting just aren't getting done.”

Booros said he has a lot of good ideas for council that cannot be conveyed in the three minutes allowed during the public participation portion of the monthly regular meetings.

“I'm hoping if I'm on the other side of the fence I can help [Mayor Cliff Newlands] and the rest of council accomplish some of the things that people elected him to do,” he said.

Booros worked as an administrative officer with the National Park Service for 10 years before spending the final 27 years of his career working as a contracting officer with the Navy. During an eight-year period while working with the Navy, he was a deputy supply officer, and he managed 110 employees and a large budget. He specialized in procurement, he said. He said council should not only focus on where the revenue is coming from, but also how taxpayers' money is being spent.

“I'm all about spending the money, getting the best bang for your buck,” he said. “It's one thing to put it on a piece of paper and use last year's figures as a guide for preparing this year's budget, which is what they do. You have to use common sense.”

Gwendolyn Jones

Since moving to Milton in March 2001, Jones said she's been involved in politics at all levels of the state. In 2009, she ran as a Libertarian for the District 19 state Senate seat previously held by Thurman Adams Jr., who died of pancreatic cancer while still serving.

“People said I'd probably get more interest and more traction if I had gone to a number of town council meetings,” she said.

She said she did that and was frustrated by many of the past administrations. However, she said Newlands is doing a much better job than the previous mayor. When she heard Duby and Hudson were not going to run, she said she felt obligated to throw her hat into the ring.

“I'm not coming in with an axe or broom,” she said.

Jones is currently working as a commercial driver, driving a bus route to and from Cape Henlopen High School every day. She said she also considered making a run for school board. She also owns her own marine technical services business, which she started while living in Annapolis. The business has been affected by the economy, which she believes gives her an understanding of many residents problems.

“Whether its for better or worse, I think being a person who's having to undergo a stress because of the economic times brings a commonality, sensibility and understanding for what people are going through right now,” she said.

Among issues she would like to tackle are yard waste, recycling and the police force. She said she doesn't consider backroom dealing a good way to run a town and would not partake in such activity if elected.

“I would like to see a more constitutionally based or oriented structure,” she said. “I can give them my perspective, and I think I've been here long enough to generate a valid one.”

George Kevin Kelly

Since Melinda Huff left the Milton Historical Society in late October, Kelly has served as the interim executive director. He moved to Milton from Fairfax, Va., in 2007 with his wife after a two-year search along the East Coast.

“I think political participation is a citizen's responsibility,” he said.

Kelly is a member of the historic preservation committee, a trustee of the Milton Historical Society and the chair of the education committee for the historical society. He also served as vice president of the Washington Area Girls Soccer League, which featured hundreds of teams from Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. For 35 years, he was an advanced placement U.S. history teacher for Fairfax Public Schools.

He said he enters the race with no agenda, which he plans to continue if elected.

“I think anyone can come up with a list of many things that are contentious in Milton,” he said. “I have a really particular view of what a member of council is. It's not so much a person that comes with an agenda or has a burning ambition to achieve this.”

He said there will always be people he will disagree with, but once elected it's important to take all views into account before making a decision.

“When you're elected, you represent everyone,” he said. “They need to know that even if they didn't vote for you, they're going to get a fair listen from you.”

He said it's important to find common ground with issues because it's not about winning or losing a debate.

“People shouldn't walk away thinking, 'They don't listen to me, they don't care, I'm in the minority here, I never prevail,'” he said. “That just breeds frustration and anger. It can really destroy a town.”

Kristin Patterson

Since moving to Milton three years ago, Patterson and her family have enjoyed the quality of life Milton offers. She works as the business manager of Ocean Medical Imaging, which was started 16 years ago by her husband, Jon.

A native of the Washington, D.C., suburbs, Patterson worked in New York City before relocating to Delaware 16 years ago. While living in Milford, she served as the education coordinator at Abbott's Mill Nature Center. She currently serves on the economic development committee.

“I started to get involved in my community in 2009 when there was an issue with building Ocean Medical Imaging in the Milton Medical Park,” she said. “I started attending council meetings then, and I have been going to the meetings ever since.”

She said she joined the economic development committee to make it easier to open a business in town and establish better signage in the downtown area.

“I have seen so many possibilities in Milton since opening our practice,” she said. “The medical park sees over 35,000 people per year, and we are just one small part of this dynamic town. I also see all the problems the town has faced, especially in print. I personally know that Milton is a fantastic place to live, raise a family and own a business.”

Patterson wants to bring a fresh perspective to council that will continue to build a better community for all residents. Among her concerns is the path of Milton's growth both economically and residentially.

“Decisions we make now will impact our town for future generations, and it is my goal to engage residents to be involved in the process so we come together on common ground to achieve these goals,” she said.

Eligible voters must register at Town Hall on Federal Street by 4:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3. If a voter requires an absentee ballot, an affidavit must be completed and sent to Town Hall by noon, Friday, March 2. Absentee ballots will be mailed out through Monday, Feb. 27. Ballots may be picked up from Town Hall until the day of the election. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday March 3.