Powers Mailer Takes Aim at Cathcart
Today I received a mailer from Bill Powers (I think the first that I have ever received) that takes on Dick Cathcart for his sponsorship of HB 383. Apparently this is a law that cuts impact fees to developers. It will be interesting to see if this makes any difference in this race. I have heard other Middletown politicians make a similar charge, but this is the first in writing.
Update: I went looking for the bill and I think this is a misprint. I think the correct bill is HB233. I wonder who got it wrong? Both The Transcript and Bill Powers have a proclivity for screwing things up.
Thanks for posting this. This piece is the one I was telling you about over the phone. Gary Warren (wants to sell land for high density (read millions) needs ordinance to continue), Bill Bell, Bill Powers, and Chris Roberts all worked to craft. Not only this, it’s an exaggeration and it was also reworked to get passed because of the Town of Middletown’s need to annex county land.
It’s amazing what the pro-developer politicians will do to get their candidate in office. BTW, the way they keep getting the facts incorrect is only par (and desperation) for course.
Oh, and Jason, that says it’s from Powers, not Bell.
It was me, andI’m a complete idiot. Thanks for pointing it out Smitty.
Oops. Sorry. Made a bad assumption. Jason and I have been on the phone about this for a couple of weeks. We (someone else and me) were tipped off by “a friend” that this was going to hit within 48 hours of the election (looks like Powers f’ed that up, too) . Obviously to Powers (and others) it’s the election, not the issue.
Not to mention…does this suddenly make what they’re doing on County Council OK?
Uh, guys, the legislation creating school impact fees in New Castle County was passed some ten years ago! It had the full support of New Castle County at that time, and, up until the workforce housing developments were proposed no one seemed to think this was an issue. Could it be that something else is driving the opposition to “workforce” housing?????
As to the current legislation, it would extend school impact fees to Kent and Sussex Counties. Sussex has no restrictions based on school capacity. Kent has school capacity restrictions, but allows a developer to pay impact fees instead. The proposed legislation (which died in the House) would make things uniform in all three counties. It really wouldn’t change anything in Kent, but would force impact fees in Sussex where a school district lacked capacity.
You better check your timeline. If Dick Cathcart hadn’t championed UDC and impact fees over a decade ago, we would be in a heck of a lot more trouble than we are now. That what you see was the most palatable agreement at the time for all parties involved, and THE MOST dramatic, teeth fixing legislation ever to affect lower NCC. It was political courage then to go up against developers, realtors, municipalities, etc. to fight for non-voters aka school children, in the interest of education. More than 10 years later, of course, some revisions are needed, and I know Appoquinimink can count on Cathcart to amend and revise as necessary–as a top priority this season. But for those of you without institutional memory…the mere original legislation was herculean in the overwhelming climate of the building free-for-all that was going on down here, unchecked, unaccountable, and unfunded for the services impacted. Rep. Cathcart went up against the elephant, and began to eat it a piece at a time–when nobody else did anything.
JustTheFacts
“Uh, guys, the legislation creating school impact fees in New Castle County was passed some ten years ago!”
Interesting 10 years! Red Clay as few years back had a capital referendum to build North Star ES and school building improvments! 60% state 40% local school tax. I didn’t see these impact fee transfer from the county over to Red Clay!
The entire NCCo Council could not give a rats ass about south-of-the-canal.
Even George Smiley can’t resist taking an unwarranted shot at us.
NO CONFIDENCE VOTE ON NCCO COUNCIL! NO CONFIDENCE!!!!!!
R Smitty
“The entire NCCo Council could not give a rats ass about south-of-the-canal”
You might be correct! I was at a NCCo Council meeting recently and when I was in the mens room Paul Clark yell in, flush twice it’s a long way to Dover!
The missing ‘link’ here is Bruce Ennis. I just looked up his recent legislation and he is the one go to guy in Dover on getting development under control.
Cathcart will work hard on this and maybe we can get something done immediately and across the aisle to boot.