Small Town News

Sussex needs to hire a county planner

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Sussex County Council is considering a charter change that would permit hiring an administrator who does not live in Sussex County at the time of appointment; county residency will still be required at the time the administrator begins work.

There are certainly residents of the county who are qualified for the job, but this change allows county council to consider a much larger pool of candidates for the county's top administrative position, and that's a positive step.

The proposed charter change recognizes the value of casting the nets wide during the search process, while preserving the tradition that whoever is selected should live here and be personally invested in the community.

The same philosophy should apply to county planning. Once an administrator is hired, the next task for council should be hiring a new county planner.

Council clearly recognizes it's critical for its administrator to live in Sussex; that same thinking should certainly apply to planning, a facet of government that is every bit as critical as administration. A county planner position is already funded and on the books; the position has simply been vacant since the last planner retired.

Instead of rilling the position, council has been content to hire an out-of-state consultant to serve as planner. That's simply inadequate for the largest county in the state, a county that has seen 23 percent growth in the last 10 years and that expects to see ongoing growth for the next 10 years.

Sussex County is growing because its natural beauty and unhurried way of life are attractive, particularly when coupled with low taxes. But all of these qualities can quickly be lost to uncontrolled growth.

Hiring a planner who will live here and, like the county administrator, become part of the community is a critical step toward protecting the future of Sussex County.





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