Ledogar announces run for District 3 seat

With the Cape Henlopen State Park fishing pier and Delaware Bay in the background, Leslie Ledogar of Lewes announced her candidacy for the Sussex County Council District 3 seat. A large crowd braved the blustery cold Jan. 18 to witness her announcement.

Democrat Ledogar commended current District 3 Councilwoman Joan Deaver, who has announced she is not likely to seek a third term this year. “And I want to take it to the next level,” she said. “Solid land use and transportation planning are what most of our district's residents want and what most of you feel is lacking.”

She looks at council's role as establishing policies for the health, safety and welfare of county residents, adopting an annual budget for government operations and enacting plans for growth, development and employment.

“I come to this responsibility with a long list of credentials and a commitment to stand for what is right, even when no one else will stand with me,” she said.

She said she would focus on three issues including accountability for code enforcement, supporting recommendations from county boards and commissions and championing smart community and regional planning.

On code enforcement, Ledogar said county employees need to be supported in their efforts to ensure that county code is followed – from preventing roadside trash dumping to ensuring that roads and flood mitigation systems are properly constructed.

On planning, she said the county must invest in initiatives that build and strengthen the job market and ensure long-term resiliency and protection of county residents' quality of life.

“The decisions that we make today will have long-lasting impacts. We must be mindful of how a single decision made today will impact future generations,” she said.

She said good land-use and transportation planning impacts residents' safety, the county's workforce, health and property values and tourism.

“How are workers supposed to get from their homes to their jobs without adequate infrastructure?” she asked. “And if the tourists cannot get here, their dollars will not either.”

Ledogar said she chose the state park as the backdrop for her announcement because she has enjoyed a lifetime of working and playing outdoors. “I understand the profound impact that places such as this beautiful state park have on the quality of life of people including myself who live, work and play in District 3,” she said.

Ledogar has been a homeowner in the Lewes-Rehoboth Beach area for 15 years. Since relocating full time to the Lewes area, she has become involved in several volunteer organizations. She is a member of the Sussex County League of Women Voters serving on the land use and advocacy corps subcommittees. She teaches an exercise and balance class in the Delaware Volunteer 50+ program and is a member of her homeowners association stormwater management committee.

She is a member of the 14th Representative District Democratic Committee and a member of Sussex Democrats, Eastern Shore Democrats and Progressive Democrats.

Ledogar is a retired environmental attorney and a certified mediator and community collaborator. In the private sector, she advised Fortune 500 companies on environmental litigation. In the public sector, she was a regulatory officer for the site remediation program with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. She has a master's degree in forestry from North Carolina State University and is a cum laude graduate of the Beasley School of Law at Temple University.

Republican Mark Schaeffer of Lewes has also announced his run for the District 3 seat.