Letter to the Editor: Sussex councilwoman decries P&Z nomination process

When I nominated Robert Mitchell to be the next member of the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission from the 2nd District, I picked him because he is knowledgeable about land use and because he is levelheaded. According to our rules, each county councilperson is allowed to nominate a commission member from his or her district. The entire County Council is to interview the candidate and approve him if he is qualified to serve in that position.

But it would not have mattered who I nominated. Mr. Mitchell interviewed well and was clearly qualified. But the majority on the County Council disregarded the intent and tradition of our rules and the nomination process to vote down Mr. Mitchell and nominate their candidate instead. The majority had already decided who they wanted to put on the commission, and that is the person that I believe they have recruited to run against me in the 2024 election. They put him on the commission to raise his profile before he runs against me. This shows his motivation, as well. He had openly shared that he had the three votes needed before Mr. Mitchell even interviewed for the position.

Never has the commission and our rules been abused in this way to score political points. The majority used a “nuclear option” to get what they want. Sussex County politics and our land-use policy will never be the same. There is no going back from this. Future councils will do the same thing. The majority has gotten their way for now, but they may regret this sooner than they think.

Sussex County Councilwoman Cindy Green

District 2