As reported on by Bill Shull in the March 14 Cape Gazette, the current City of Lewes budget contains no hike in taxes, and creates a resiliency fund which is projected to grow at a rate of about a half-million dollars a year.
This is highly laudable. In the case of the resiliency fund, it is timely and visionary, and will help our coastal community prepare for the inevitable coming storms. Council member Amy Marasco deserves credit for helping conceive and develop a resiliency fund, with active support from her fellow Lewes City Council members.
This fund is particularly timely for several reasons, including the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events across the continent. But also it is clear that the current administration is intent on systematically dismantling federal agencies that are essential partners to states, localities like Lewes and not-for-profit organizations. This includes agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors oceans and administers the National Weather Service. Already, NWS has been unable to dispatch weather balloons critical to accurate weather forecasts.
As I and many Lewes residents sat transfixed at our TV screens last week watching local weather stations track a tornado watch that cut right through Georgetown and culminated in Lewes, the essential role of agencies like NOAA for our health and safety was in stark evidence. Although the agency is muzzled from discussing the impact of the loss of thousands of employees, including seasoned scientists and meteorologists, I know from working closely with this agency that the impact is profound.
With a president who is threatening to abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency, it is clear Delaware and Lewes can no longer rely on federal support in times of disaster. Having a robust resiliency fund to help Lewes respond to and prevent damage from coastal flooding and other storm impacts is wise and forward-looking.
Strong kudos to Lewes City Council member Amy Marasco and the rest of Lewes City Council for adopting this fund, even in tough fiscal times.
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