SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- Sussex County’s District 3 Council seat is up for grabs, and the stakes are high as Republican incumbent Mark Schaeffer goes head-to-head with Democratic challenger Jane Gruenebaum.
Schaeffer, a veteran of Delaware politics, has served on the council since 2020 and has previously held roles as mayor of Little Creek and Smyrna. “Everybody knows when they call me, they're going to get results,” he said.
Gruenebaum, a co-founder of the Sussex Preservation Coalition who moved to Sussex County seven years ago, sees her nonprofit background as an asset in addressing local challenges.
“We've had a lot of, I think, good, effect on the policies of county council. But obviously, we can get more done if I can get on county council and actually have a vote,” she said.
Both candidates are focused on the county’s rapid growth. Schaeffer says he’s made strides in curbing overdevelopment with ordinances during his term.
"I've had a lot of success in my first three and a half years in getting a number of ordinances adopted to put a brake on the overdevelopment," he explained. "You don't see those changes in a three year period. Most of the development you see today was approved before my term began."
Gruenebaum, however, believes more needs to be done. “We really need to do the upfront work, which is to keep development and infrastructure concurrent," she argued.
Another significant issue in the race is funding for the Cape Henlopen School District.
Gruenebaum has criticized the county council for not considering a voluntary school assessment fee to support local schools. “Our county council would not even take it up. They misrepresented what it was,” she noted.
Schaeffer, meanwhile, opposes any new fees, asserting that school funding falls under the state legislature’s responsibility. “Building schools is 100% the responsibility of our local, state senator. We do not need more taxes,” he said.
The candidates emphasize their contrasting backgrounds and approaches. Gruenebaum points to her nonprofit experience, stating, “His background is as a builder and a realtor. Mine has been advocating for the kind of issues that we're talking about today.”
Schaeffer, however, highlighted his extensive political experience: "It's, night and day the differences between me and my opponent," he said. "I didn't just start doing this yesterday. I've been doing this for 50 plus years."
The winner will serve a four-year term on the Sussex County Council. District 3 stretches from Slaughter Beach down to Dewey Beach.
