Dewey Residents Urge Council to Trim Benefits

BY KRISTEN SMITH

DEWEY BEACH – In the wake of budget cuts and increased talk about deficits, some residents believe the Town Council should trim the expenses associated with municipal staff and their benefits.

Resident Joy Howell of Citizens to Preserve Dewey — a group formed in June 2007 in response to citizen outcry over the zoning height limit changes being proposed to accommodate new development — said there are ways the town can pull itself out of financial danger.

“Our main goal is to see Dewey Beach stay strong enough to determine its own future,” she said. “Having a budget that went $800,000 in the red isn’t a good thing when we’re trying to stay financially strong to fight those developers.”

In a mass e-mail where the CPD addressed town residents, they said “the mayor strongly rejected making any cuts to the town employees’ benefits or staffing.” The e-mail claimed the mayor suggested instituting a property tax in place of cutting Town Hall expenditures.

But Mayor Dell Tush, who admits she made the comment out of anger, said she believes maintaining a happy staff is essential to keeping Dewey Beach running properly.

“I’ve never been in favor of property taxes — not now, not ever — and I’m not in favor of cutting staff, salaries, hours or benefits,” she said. “Sure, there are less people here this time of year, but there’s still an awful lot to do. We have police presence 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All our employees are service oriented, so cutting into them cuts service.”

But Howell and other members of the CPD suggest the town eliminate monetary compensation for salaried members of town staff when they exceed the 40-hour work week. They also question the town’s ability to fund 100 percent of employee health benefits.

“Until the fat is cut from the Town Hall budget, the CPD does not believe it is fair to ask the property owners to pay more,” Howell said. “Our salaried town employees are also collecting overtime for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week. (We) suggest that salaried personnel not be permitted to charge overtime hours.”

In an effort to be more accountable to their constituents, commissioners agreed to post the profit and loss budget versus actual budget figures on their Web site, www.townofdeweybeach.com.

“If we’re doing well, people have a right to know and vice versa,” said Commissioner Marc Appelbaum. “We’re no different than any other family right now. We need to cut back and live within our means. We’re not unique in the problems we face.”

BY KRISTEN SMITH • STAFF WRITER • ksmith@dmg.gannett.com