Georgetown holds a public forum to give voters a chance to meet the mayoral candidates in this Saturday’s municipal election.
The forum included the three mayoral candidates- Itzel Hernandez, Angela Townsend, and Geoffery Walker- as well as Town Council Ward 3 incumbent Eric Evans and challenger Michael Briggs.
Mayoral candidates fielded questions on a variety of topics including homelessness in Georgetown.
Townsend argues the smartest way to address the issue would be to collaborate with nonprofits she says are already helping the homeless
“But they’re all working independently of each other. I think we all need to sit together, in a room, and work together- to work on the homeless problem.” she said.
Towsend continued that she believes that part of the issue is being fueled by "handout" oriented care, saying she urges Georgetown residents not to participate.
"There's panhandlers on the highway. I beg people not to give handouts. They think they're helping a homeless person with money, and basically, they're not. Chances are, that money that is given is going to drugs or alcohol, not food or housing." she said.
Hernandez also endorses a collaborative approach with local non-profits if she were elected,
"I want to invite these organizations and their constituents to have this conversation, and instead of complaining, finding creative solutions. What’s important right now is to focus on the ones that do want the help.” she said. "Just a reminder, you could be one paycheck away from being homeless as well"
Walker argues the problem is lack of police resources.
“To keep the safety of this town I would increase the patrols of the Georgetown PD and give them the tools that they need to arrest any criminal activity that’s going on, and send them to jail. I think we got to do a human way to take them somewhere else.” he said.
Walker adds that other things, like street lighting and community action, could also help address the issue.
Another topic that was discussed was Georgetown's position as a "business friendly" town- or lack thereof. Candidates were asked what actions they'd take to improve Georgetown's perception as being "unfriendly" to businesses.
Hernandez says that in order to do that, it'll involve looking at the town's planning code and talks with code enforcement.
"Maybe we have to review it with my council people, and maybe we have to change some things to make it easier for small businesses to come to business here in Georgetown." she said. "Economic development is important to this town, and it's going in the right direction, so we want to move forward with that"
Townsend said that the solution might be in the strategy of other towns, and said she wanted to visit nearby municipalities to see where they're having success, then bring those ideas to Georgetown.
"When I was employed with the town of Georgetown we went to Millsboro. Millsboro does not have a planning commission. They have a set of design standards, and if an applicant comes before
them and they meet all the requirements in the design standards, the project is stamped and you're ready to move on" she said.
Townsend echoed Hernandez's focus on making Georgetown an easier place to bring a small business, arguing that the current system is too large a barrier for prospective business owners.
"We need to look at our system of handling permits when they come in from applicants... it seems like I've heard nothing but a lot of complaints about the process and how long it takes." she said.
Walker also called for an easing of the application process; he said that simplifying the language of the code could be one way to make it more accessible.
"I would talk to the town manager and the lawyers and see what legal stuff we could do to expedite things to bring businesses here. The more businesses we have here, the better for the revenue. We keep the money in town, and we bring more jobs." he said. "I'd like a bigger variety of stores for the people that are coming. Because, the growth is coming, and we're going to have to face it."
Candidates were also questioned on Georgetown's immigrant population, and what they would do in office to ensure those communities feel safe and welcome in the area.
Towsend said she'd want to incorporate the immigrant advocacy committee,"...and I want Hispanic residents in town to be involved in that. And I'm sure some longtime residents of Georgetown- some have problems with the Hispanic community. But how I look at it, when I become mayor, it'll be my responsibility to blend this town" she said. "They're some of the nicest people I know... they're family oriented, they're very religious, they're hard workers, and they're very business oriented."
Walker said he'd work to keep the town family oriented,
"I don't care what nationality you are, if you treat me with respect- treat me like a family man, I'll treat you like a family man. We can shake hands and enjoy the time together. So, I want to keep Georgetown as a family atmosphere town." he said.
When asked how he'd improve communication and engagement with immigrants, he said he'd make the connections personally.
"I'm always around at the gym with the old folks there. Shopping around town, I go to the stores and shop here and there and talk to people. I'm friendly, I'm open, and I'm an honest guy. I like to meet people, talk to people, and see how things [are going], and find out what the problems are." he said.
Hernandez said that her heritage as a Latin-American gives her an understanding of the struggle that immigrant families face,
"Look at me. I'm Mexican-American. I've lived here my whole entire life, and I've seen it. We are a community of Latinos, Caribbeans, Hattians, southeast Asians. I used to walk... to go to my friends' house that live in Kimmey Town" she said. "We used to go to Joe's Market, La Mexicana, El Mercado, Little Mexico. All of those businesses there, and they are so overlooked. we need representation. I don't see anyone here that looks like me, up until recently." she said.
She also alluded to some Georgetown residents having issue with the local Hispanic community, saying they were unfounded.
"People have misconceptions about who we are. Why is that? I want to bring people together, because we have talent." she said.
The forum lasted 2 hours, the last 30 minutes included crowd-sourced questions. Following the event, Towsend remarked on the value town halls bring to the community,
"It gives everybody the opportunity to sit there and listen to all the questions and all the answers to make an informed decision when they vote on Saturday" she said.
Hernandez said she felt confident after her showing- saying she feels a responsibility to bring unity to the town,
"I'm not speaking as a politician, but more as a human. A human and a leader. I don't want people to see me as just a politician but as a leader in the community. Because I'm not just speaking for myself, but I'm also speaking for the underrepresented" she said.
Walker noted his campaign for mayor is motivated by a desire for public service,
"You all know that I'm not a politician, I'm a worker. I work hard every day. I'm trying to get my feet wet and get more involved in politics. I enjoy people, I like talking to people and trying to help resolve problems that are around. I care about this town, I love it, and I want to have everyone else love this town as much as I do." he said.
Polls open in Georgetown Town Hall Saturday from 8am to 6pm.
