We are writing today to share our experiences with Sussex County Councilman Mark Schaeffer as he campaigns for re-election. As the mayor and deputy mayor of Lewes, we have worked closely with Councilman Schaeffer and found him to be very responsive to Lewes’ issues. He has worked tirelessly with his county staff to provide Lewes with future options on our wastewater treatment system, particularly an offer to the City of Rehoboth to share their outfall process. If this deal is finalized, it would save Lewes $20 million to $100 million, the cost of the two other options. It would further provide Rehoboth with a cash infusion of $20-plus million. This is serious and significant development for Lewes.
Councilman Schaeffer is a member of the Lewes Fire Department, and his unique background is proving to be valuable as the State of Delaware reevaluates future funding for volunteer fire departments. Fire and EMS services are priority government functions, and it is critical Lewes identify future funding sources to support an evolving volunteer fire department model. Councilman Schaeffer’s current and future advocacy is critical to maintaining Delaware’s fifth-busiest fire department.
A key issue in this campaign is stopping or slowing residential development, which directly and indirectly affects citizens of Lewes. Traffic congestion is frustrating to many in Lewes and our surrounding communities. Citizens routinely ask why infrastructure cannot keep up with development. Councilman Schaeffer is working with us and other area stakeholders to build an unprecedented infrastructure coalition for Sussex County. The current federal highway authorization bill will expire Sept. 30, 2026, but we are developing a plan to begin advocacy in 2025. We will work with our congressional delegation and advocate in Washington, D.C., for increased infrastructure funding for Sussex County. We appreciate Councilman Schaeffer for his leadership and foresight on this key issue.
Finally, Councilman Schaeffer’s opponents continue to label him as a rubber stamp for development, but this simply is not aligned with the facts. Councilman Schaeffer has voted no on over two dozen development projects due to concerns about environmental disturbance and overdevelopment, including appeals of planning & zoning decisions on the Coral Lakes subdivision, the River Road subdivision, and the Round Pole Bridge Road subdivision. Further, he serves on the board of the West Rehoboth Community Land Trust and is a member of the Sussex County Land Trust, which has preserved nearly 2,000 acres.
We respectfully ask citizens of Lewes to join us in supporting Councilman Schaeffer who has demonstrated his commitment to Lewes as we seek to address our short- and long-term challenges.
Editor’s note: The views of Mayor Andrew Williams and Deputy Mayor Khalil Saliba are their own and do not represent the views of other city council members or the Lewes city government.
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