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I am writing in support of Jane Gruenebaum for Sussex County Council in District 3. We need a county council that has vision, autonomy from developers, and the ability to create and enforce long-term, controlled regulations for infrastructure, the environment, education, emergency services and open space.

The current council and our current District 3 representative, Mark Schaeffer, can only seem to pass and enforce existing regulations when a huge public outcry exists and they are absolutely forced to restrict overdevelopment. They even have approved projects that have been declined by DelDOT.

The best example of their failure to act with vision and responsibility (favoring developers over educational funding) was when the council, led in this case by Schaeffer, failed to pass the voluntary school assessment. This fee on developers would have provided the needed funding for our schools, teachers and students. Would those developers pass that cost onto the homebuyers? In all probability, yes, but it would be passed onto future new home buyers. This fee would help defray the cost of building new schools and hiring more teachers. Instead, Schaffer and our county council have passed this cost onto all residents of the county in the form of a higher school tax.

A vote for your county council representative should not be a partisan vote. It should be a vote for the lifestyle you want to live in Sussex County. A vote for Mark Schaeffer will produce more rampant development, inadequate infrastructure and underfunded schools (and/or higher taxes). Each of us will suffer along with our teachers and ultimately our students.

Jane Gruenebaum will provide thoughtful, visionary leadership in the areas of environment, education, economic growth, emergency services and open space with adequate funding and infrastructure for controlled growth.

Please join me in voting for Jane and a vision for the future.

A few years back, a Sussex County councilman driving the backroads of coastal Delaware made a disturbing discovery: the area was filled with housing developments!

“I’ve never seen so many homes,” he said. “I didn’t know it was that bad.”

He may not have seen them, but he knew about them. Or should have. The developments were approved by the county’s own planning & zoning commission.

No wonder we’re always playing catch-up with infrastructure.

Another reason: the county is responsible for land-use decisions. The state is responsible for roads. The county rakes in cash from developments. The state is forced to find money for roads. The state’s always behind the curve.

That’s not to say growth should be stopped. Growth will continue, but we need a more balanced approach, one more concerned with infrastructure and the environment.

That’s what Jane Gruenebaum will bring to the table. She’s the Democratic candidate for Sussex County Council’s District 3, which includes Lewes and Rehoboth. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Gruenebaum’s the perfect candidate to bring more balance. She offers both a fresh face and experience. She helped found the Sussex Preservation Coalition, which boasts 4,000 members. Gruenebaum already understands the issues.

Traffic’s now a year-round problem in Sussex County. As Gruenebaum says on her website, “enough is enough.” If you feel the pain, vote for Jane.