Sussex County Admin Building

Sussex County officials say they welcome the effort and do not view the order as the state attempting to manage growth locally.

GEORGETOWN, Del. - Cape Henlopen School District officials spoke at the Sussex County Council meeting today, urging members to consider implementing the Voluntary School Assessment fee.

The district has previously advocated for the county to adopt the VSA.

District 3 Council Member Mark Schaeffer voiced his opposition. "We do not need more taxes. I am opposed to taxing people. We have the highest taxes in the country on residential dwellings now," Schaeffer said. "We do not need an additional tax."

Cape Henlopen School District Finance Director Oliver Gumbs countered, explaining that the VSA is not a tax. "The council says they don’t want to raise taxes, but this is a fee on developers," Gumbs said. "Developers can pass the fee on to homebuyers if they choose to."

The Cape Henlopen school district tells CoastTV news they will continue to pursue the county to try and pass the VSA.

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Brandon started at CoastTV News in June 2024, anchoring the weekend newscasts for more than a year and reporting during the week. In May 2026, Brandon transitioned into the managing editor and 11 p.m. anchor positions.

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