Save Beaver Valley writes ~
Election Results
What happened, what it means, and where to go next
Save The Valley Supporters –
Tuesday was a monumental day. Although the open space candidates did not win the election, our voices were heard. The election was the closest it has been in over 50 years, with a 44%-56% victory. An unprecedented 4,400+ residents turned out for an off-year election despite the fact that the incumbents have run unopposed for over 40 years. The open space candidates garnered 44% of the vote and won 2 of the 10 precincts, an historic accomplishment. The election would have turned the other way with only a 6% swing.
By the numbers
In a overwhelmingly republican area, with only 27% registered democrat, the democratic candidates did phenomenally well, which proves that this is truly a bi-partisan issue. Let’s take a look.
23% of republican voters crossed party lines to vote for the open space candidate.
If only 1 in 10 additional republican voters crossed party lines, the election would have swung the other way.
The Concord Township open space candidates polled 16 percentage points higher than the other democratic candidates.
What this means:
This means that preserving Beaver Valley and other open space in Concord township has been elevated to the most important issue in the township. Concord residents have spoken very clearly: open space should be preserved while runaway, unbridled development must be checked. The current supervisors must change their stance on open space, or face public ridicule, and undoubtedly miss out on reelection in two years.
So now what?
Just because we lost the election doesn’t mean we've lost the fight. Save The Valley is stronger than ever, and growing every day. Through the process of preparing for elections we have united literally thousands of citizens within Concord township alone who are in support of saving Beaver Valley. The supervisors can no longer pretend that we don’t exist. They must listen to your demands and work to protect the remaining open space in Concord. Finally, we are now exploring funding opportunities and reaching out to various parties to become part of a consortium of buyers, of which Concord can be a part. With a five million dollar surplus, Concord could contribute three million, with no attendant tax increase, and save the trails and open space long touted on the township website.
Stay tuned, keep following us on facebook and keep up to date at savethevalley.org. There's no question that we're making waves. Let's keep the momentum building for the fight in the New Castle portion of the Woodlawn holdings. Remember, together our voices will be heard!
And (DelCoTimes) Leslie Krowchenko reports ~ Republicans turn back Democratic challenge in Concord
CONCORD — Republicans averted the first Democratic challenge in years, as GOP incumbents Dominic Cappelli Jr. and Libby Salvucci were returned to their supervisor seats and Lisa Dort was re-elected as tax collector. Cappelli, who defeated Dan Levin, will serve a two-year term, while Salvucci, who topped Dan Foster, will continue with a six-year stint. Dort, opposed by Susan Huffington, will have another two-year term.
The central issues of Cappelli's platform were continued expansion and preservation open space, developing a unified trail system and fiscal reasonability. Salvucci noted the need for improved communication with residents via the township website and ensuring the municipality is spending its funds wisely. She has also stated her opposition to changing the zoning of the Woodlawn Trustees parcel.
According to unofficial results, the vote counts were:
Dominic Cappelli Jr., Republican: 2,405
Dan Levin, Democrat: 1,891
Libby Salvucci, Republican: 2,430
Dan Foster, Democrat: 1,860
Lisa Dort, Republican: 2631
Susan Huffington, Democrat: 1522
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