I am writing this letter in support of John Rieley for County Council and to correct the record as I see it.
I have worked with John his entire four years. He reads every piece of paper, does research and asks questions before making a decision. He is easy to approach and is a good listener. His background as a retired financial planner has served council well.
We have significantly increased direct grants to many groups since John has been on council, to towns, police departments, and fire and ambulance services. We have increased our contributions to the Delaware State Police in exchange for more troopers in Sussex County, without increasing county taxes.
John’s opponent said John voted to increase taxes. He did vote for the accommodations (hotel/motel) tax, as did I. That taxes tourists who visit Sussex County, and money is earmarked to pay for the infrastructure they use. We wanted them to pay for it instead of our residents.
John’s opponent has said that John has created traffic issues and sprawl we all face. However, most subdivisions do not come before the County Council, but all go before the Planning & Zoning Commission, on which John’s opponent, Keller Hopkins, sits. On Jan. 27, 2022, Hopkins vocalized his support for Coral Lakes with hundreds of homes. On March 10, 2022, when it came up for another vote, Mr. Hopkins voted no but failed to give the legally required reasons for his vote. Interestingly, he filed to run for County Council just days before the second vote.
I ask you to please support John Rieley for County Council and send a message that negative politics is not wanted in Sussex County.
Michael Vincent
President, Sussex County Council
