Georgetown will go to the polls this Saturday for a mayoral election.
Incumbent Bill West has been mayor of Georgetown since 2014. He’s challenged by Ruth Ann Spicer. Councilmembers Angela Townsend and Penuel Barrett were also up for reelection but were unopposed.
Georgetown residents can vote at Town Hall, at 37 The Circle, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
The mayoral candidates were sent identical questionnaires. Their answers are presented below unedited.
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Bill West
What qualifies you to be Mayor of Georgetown?
I was asked in 2014 to be an ambassador for Georgetown. Since that date I have brought new businesses to the town and helped people with different problems. I have led by being on organizations which opened Communications with other towns and agencies. VP of Chamber, Council on Police training, two years president of Sussex county association of towns, and executive of Delaware league of local government.
Georgetown is set to become home to Delaware’s first temporary homeless shelter village. Do you support the current village plans? Why or why not? If not, what do you propose to do to alleviate homelessness in Georgetown?
I approve of the village because it is working in other States. We have tried feeding the homeless , placing them in shelter during covid (which several took housing permanently) and I have talked to them at the ACE center to see why they don’t have housing. Most of them had the same reason not knowing how to manage money ,drugs or alcohol abuse.
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Hundreds of new housing units are planned for Georgetown in the next few years. Do you see this as a primarily good or bad thing for the town? Why?
If you look around at other towns they are growing also. These houses are needed for workforce housing and will help keep the tax base low. Research shows that a town needs to be around 10,000 people to support box stores and restaurants. We are at 7,200. Workforce housing people can not afford beach prices to live. We have the infrastructure and just need road improvements which DelDOT is doing well.
Other than the above issues, what do you see as the biggest issues facing Georgetown and how do you plan to confront them?
(unanswered)
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Ruth Ann Spicer
What qualifies you to be Mayor of Georgetown?
I am a resident of Georgetown and have been since 1976. Prior to 1976, my mother’s family lived in Georgetown, so therefore my roots have always been here as well. My years of experience working in the medical field and in management has given me constructive planning. Therefore, I am very capable of making decisions for our town.
Georgetown is set to become home to Delaware’s first temporary homeless shelter village. Do you support the current plans? Why or why not? If not, what do you propose to do to alleviate homelessness in Georgetown?
I would not be able to support the current village plans until I see it in full operation. This village would be one of the first on the East Coast, so therefore no council member, Mayor or anyone of the town, except for Mr. Judd Malone has seen the actual villages on the West Coast.
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Hundreds of new housing units are planned for Georgetown in the next few years. Do you see this as a primarily good or bad thing for the town? Why?
The proposed housing in Georgetown needs to be put on hold until we can fulfill our town with the needs of our community. Increasing staffing of our Police Department, should be a priority, before new residences are brought to our town. Also, we need new business such as a Hardware store, clothing stores, more restaurants etc.
Other than the above issues, what do you see as the biggest issues facing Georgetown and how do you plan to confront them?
The main issue for our town is to increase the Police Officers, increase the code enforcement, support our local business and bring more business to our town as stated above.
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