George "Jody" Sweeney for

5th District Levy Court

   THIS....                             OR                  THIS?

Growth - The housing market has slowed down with the economy.  As a commissioner, everything must be done now to slow the uncontrolled growth that has happened in the past.  Ordinances that force new developments to address their effect on schools, roads, police, or fire companies must be strengthened and enforced.  New applications for developments must follow rules that are stricter with land use and design that allow for more open space and wider streets for fire apparatus.  It is my position that existing taxpayers NEVER pay more taxes as a result of infrastructure requirements for a new development.

Economy - The national economy is in a downturn.  Kent County is in a better than average position to survive the downturn, but should not cease efforts to attract businesses that offer higher pay, better benefits, and provide stability for the youth of our county to consider remaining in the county.  The county should consider incentives to attract new businesses.  These incentives include property tax rebates, assistance in locating appropriate real estate as defined by the Comprehensive Plan, and possible rezoning of appropriate real estate if needed.  These incentives should also be considered for businesses that have announced intentions to leave the county.  

Road conditions and congestion - Many of the roads and intersections in the county, and especially in the 5th District are not designed for the number of cars that pass through each day.  Levy Court must work with DelDOT to identify those intersections that are the most traveled to ensure that they are designed and the signals are configured for the best pass through.  They must work together to ensure that roads leading to and from developments to major roads are designed to allow for emergency vehicles and busses to travel easily.  Finally, the rules put in place must be enforced to prevent the continuation of a project even though the the improvements are not not in place (such as Lochmeath Way).

Reassessment and Taxes - Reassessment is the valuation of a resident's home to ensure the fair payment of taxes to the county.  As a result of reassessment, overall tax revenue for the County cannot increase by more than 15%, as legislated by the State of Delaware.  The county has suggested that approximately 1/3 of residents' County portion of their property taxes will decrease, 1/3 will increase, and 1/3 will stay the same.  As a long time homeowner in the county, I suspect that my taxes will increase dramatically.  It is probable that homeowners who have lived in their modest homes for many years, such as those in the developments of Rodney Village, Camden, Wyoming, Briar Park, Star Hill, Woodside, and Viola will see a REDUCTION in their property taxes as a result of reassessment.  Reassessment is going to be a contentious issue in the next term of Levy Court Commissioners.  Reassessment is supposed to occur every five years but has not happened in over 20 years.  The State of Delaware is currently investigating adding legislation that requires counties to perform a reassessment.  If this occurs during my tenure on the Levy Court, I will ensure that it is a fair process for all residents.    

School overcrowding and funding - Unrestricted growth has put too many students in classrooms.  These same Districts al do not have money to provide textbooks for every student.  Teachers are called on to provide supplies, and students and their families are asked to donate essentials such as tissues, snacks, and other classroom supplies.  Levy Court must work with the school districts to provide the best education for our children.  One option that needs to be explored is the creation of a single school district for the entire county with one superintendent with overall decision making with county oversight.  The costs in economy will save money for school districts, and ultimately taxpayers. 

Police Funding and Crime - With the number of new families moving into the county, the Delaware State Police are not able to provide the level of protection that is needed for the population.  Many times, State Troopers are in one area of the county when they are needed in another.  Municipal police are often called on to fill in with less training and experience in handling higher crimes.  Levy Court needs to encourage the State Legislature to increase funding for new officers that are assigned to Kent County.  Community Watch programs, such as the one recently started recently in cooperation with the Camden Town Police engage the residents in their communities where they meet each other and take pride in their surroundings.  Levy Court currently provides annual funding for programs like Crimewatch, as well as additional non-employee to the Delaware State Police.  This funding line should not be removed, and when possible, additional funding for the Delaware State Police should be identified.

Paramedic Services - The paramedics provide life saving services to the county residents.  There are not enough paramedics to respond to every call, putting residents at risk.  The service needs more funding to put more paramedics in service and to place substations (aka Power Units) in far corners of the county to decrease response time to emergencies.

Volunteer Fire Services - The county fire service consists of volunteer fireman who must find funds to continue operating.  The Levy Court must find ways to provide additional funding to these companies to allow them to continue the business of saving lives and property.  I have suggested that a VOLUNTARY ASSESSMENT FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES be included as an option in annual Kent Country Property taxes.  This voluntary assessment, similar to the options at the end of the State Income Tax form would give the homeowner an option of including a donation for the fire company in their fire district.