Mike Smith

3 weeks ago | spotlightdelaware.org | Mike Smith

Why Should Delaware Care? Sussex County has experienced a building boom in the last decade, which has added more than 30,000 residents and put unexpected strains on affordability, roads, services and the environment. A new group aims to propose ways to reform county codes to ease that strain.

3 weeks ago | spotlightdelaware.org | Mike Smith

Why Should Delaware Care? Nonprofits and local government officials are awaiting news of federal funding cuts, which could lead to a loss of services for Delawareans or the prospect of higher taxes to make up for them. One of the few confirmations so far is the loss of housing discrimination prevention efforts. Delaware nonprofits and New Castle County officials are reeling after the Trump administration abruptly slashed hundreds of thousands of dollars in fair housing funding.

4 weeks ago | spotlightdelaware.org | Mike Smith

Why Delawareans Should Care? Sussex County is beginning to have critical discussions over the pace of development in the rapidly changing county. It also has an immediate need for more affordable housing to meet the needs of the region’s workforce though. In a county facing no shortage of debates over land use, the development of a Lewes-area project has presented a unique question: Should multi-family housing that’s needed by the region’s workforce in the region should trump other concerns?

1 month ago | spotlightdelaware.org | Julia Merola |Mike Smith

Why Should Delaware Care? School referendums are the only time that Delawareans can have a direct say in their taxation rate, but they also make it harder for school districts to meet rising costs. A recent spike in failed referendums suggests a changing outlook from the public on funding any request from school districts.