By Glenn Rolfe

MILLSBORO — One seat on the town’s seven-member council is at stake Saturday.

Incumbent Tim Hodges and challenger Kimberley Kaan are candidates for the three-year District 1 term.

Councilman Hodges has been in his post continuously since 2007, currently serving as acting mayor.

This is Ms. Kaan’s second attempt to win election to council. She lost in the 2021 vote to incumbent Bradley Cordrey, 23-16.

Voting will take place Saturday at the Millsboro Town Center from 1-7 p.m. Eligible voters must be 18 or older, town residents and registered with the Sussex County Department of Elections.

Another incumbent, John Thoroughgood, is unopposed and will retain his District 2 seat.

Late last month, the Delaware State News sent questions to the two candidates in the contested race. Their responses follow.

What is your evaluation of the town and the services it provides to residents, businesses and those who may wish to relocate here?

KK: Millsboro is blessed to have its current staff, especially the public works director and police chief, longtime professionals who have dedicated their careers and lives to serving the people of Millsboro. Their knowledge of the town is invaluable. Some of my career was spent in the water-and-sewer utility business. Kenny Niblett is the best water-and-sewer system operator I have ever met. He cares deeply about the town, its people, and has saved the town a lot of money by being proactive and innovative in challenging circumstances. Millsboro is a Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies-certified police agency, which is the national gold standard for policing. Millsboro is one of only six municipal departments in the entire state to have this certification.

TH: Millsboro is a great small town (in which) to live, work, shop and dine. Our location — the “center of the wagon wheel” — gives businesses and residents alike easy access to the north, south, east and west. Millsboro’s staff in Town Hall, the water and wastewater facilities and the police department do a great job providing services to businesses and residents.

Where does growth — residential and/or business — factor in your vision for Millsboro?

KK: The first consideration in approving new growth should be, how does it benefit the existing residents and businesses? The benefit could be a much-needed service or business that is currently lacking, employment opportunities or reduction in the costs for services overall. I don’t consider new property tax revenue a benefit because those taxes are an offset for town services that will have to be provided. The current comprehensive plan was developed by council and staff with limited public input, mostly through questionnaires. I would like to see a citizen advisory board give recommendations. The ultimate plan would be developed by council, but the additional public input by a cross section of residents and businesses would benefit the process.

TH: Over the last several years, Millsboro has seen marked growth and still has a number of residential and commercial projects in the pipeline. The top three requests I hear from residents are: (1.) better access to medical facilities; (2.) a large, upscale grocery store; and (3.) sit-down restaurants. Both TidalHealth and Beebe Healthcare are in the process of bringing additional medical facilities to town. This should provide the needed access to health care. We also continue to encourage quality grocers and restaurants to join us in Millsboro.

Do you have any major concerns — currently or in the immediate future — for Millsboro?

KK: I am very concerned about the infrastructure, capacity and the utility rates. In very recent years, there have been a few utility rate increases in the town, including a 15% increase, which is significant. Generally, increases of this significance are an indicator that there are problems within the system. Also troubling is that this increase was made at a time when the economy was good and impact fees were being collected from new development. There has to be a discussion for how to deal with increased expenses and repayment of debt. There also has to be a plan in place for how to pay for everything once the new development stops and the impact fees go away without placing an undue burden on the existing system users.

TH: My concerns for Millsboro are traffic and growth. Millsboro has been working with (the Delaware Department of Transportation) on plans to improve traffic in town for the last several years. One of these projects, which has been completed, is the eastbound Route 24/113 lane expansion beside Wawa, which has provided dedicated left-turn, straight-through and right-turn lanes. And recently, DelDOT has begun the planned downtown project, which will not only resurface the roadway but provide additional traffic-flow improvements to the westbound lanes at Route 113, as well as improvements at State Street in the west-, north- and southbound directions. This will capstone the town’s downtown sidewalk/water line project completed not long ago. It will also dovetail nicely with the State Street drainage, sidewalk and resurfacing project between downtown and the Little League park, which is just wrapping up.

What are the priority projects on your list?

KK: Transparency and communication. I would like to see meetings and elections advertised in a more meaningful way. The town has a sign marquee at Town Hall and a digital sign by Dairy Queen. Meetings and elections should be posted there. I would also like to see an email list for anyone that wants to be informed about town meetings and events. The website should also have all meeting minutes, not just the regular monthly council meeting minutes. It should also include committee assignments and minutes, the annual budget, the annual financial audit report, ordinances, resolutions and a way to contact your elected officials. Parcels that are the subject of annexation, zoning or adjustment hearings should have visible signage on them.

TH: Millsboro has a number of projects in process. My priority list includes a number of infrastructure projects, including: (1.) finishing construction of the new water-treatment facility now underway; (2.) building the police department’s new facility; (3.) completing the final evaluation and replacement of our oldest water and sewer lines, installed in the 1960s; and (4.) designing and building the new wastewater-treatment facility. Each of these projects are on my priority list to improve services to residents and businesses.

What are your closing thoughts?

KK: I have voted in every single election since I turned 18. The only election I ever missed in my life happened when I moved to Millsboro. I looked at the town charter when I moved here to find out when the election was and kept waiting for it to be advertised or mentioned at a council meeting, to no avail. I have met so many Millsboro residents over the last few weeks, and most are surprised to learn that the town has a council election every June. There is also only a six-hour window in which to vote. Moving forward, Millsboro has to find a way to encourage people to exercise their right to vote and have their voices heard. If my running in this election has helped this to come about, then I have truly won.

TH: My vision is to make Millsboro the best small town in Delaware. As I’ve heard from numerous Millsboro residents — from those who have recently arrived to those who have been here for a lifetime — they love Millsboro for the small town that it is. I believe with good planning by experienced council members and staff, we can add businesses, services and residences to Millsboro, while keeping that small-town appeal. Factually, we only have so much room to expand, and one day, it will be gone. So it will take much work and attention to detail to reach this goal. Without good planning, this cannot happen. Allowing uncontrolled growth will not work, but neither will stopping all expansion tomorrow. A balance can be achieved with good leadership. We have good staff and leadership today. Our new town manager, Jamie Burke, is well suited for his new position. With his management skills, town operations and employees are in good hands.