Letter to the Editor: A few questions for Seaford City Council candidates
Posted
Seaford will have its next municipal election April 17, barring any unforeseen developments.
While Seaford advertises itself as “The Perfect Place to Start,” thoughtful citizens recognize there are several areas in need of attention/change to reach that lofty goal.
The candidates for City Council should consider and be prepared to address/answer questions for citizens in the following areas:
- Voters, voting and elections: For example, setting and working toward a high goal for voter registrations; moving elections to November to improve voter turnout; maximizing safety for voters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Energy (especially electricity) policies: For example, making comprehensive residential electric rates competitive with the Delaware Electric Cooperative; passing declines in purchase costs on to customers; allowing residents’ solar installations to be fully integrated into the Seaford grid.
- Compliance/noncompliance with legal requirements: For example, eliminating continuing Freedom of Information Act/open-government legal violations; holding employees accountable for noncompliance with legal requirements.
- Contemplated major debt for wastewater treatment improvement/expansion: For example, revising grossly inflated estimates of future wastewater-treatment needs; dramatically decreasing the approximate $26 million price tag and associated borrowing to finance state-mandated upgrades.
- City employee benefit costs: For example, aligning unnecessarily high health care benefits for city workers to those more like the benefits of state of Delaware employees; reducing the number of $100,000-plus (salary and benefits) employees.
- “Tail-wagging-the-dog” issues: For example, limiting the authority of the city manager and/or city attorney to act without direct City Council approval.
Of course, there are other areas of concern and in need of attention by the candidates for City Council, but the above at least provide starting points for discussion.
Good luck to all the candidates.
Dan Cannon
Seaford
