REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Jeffrey Goode has filed a nominating petition for the office of commissioner for the Aug. 8, annual municipal election in Rehoboth Beach.
Goode said he is running on a platform focused on city spending and financial management. He moved to Rehoboth full-time 9 years ago.
"The budget has ballooned from $19 million to $50 million. Cities the size of Rehoboth typically have budgets in the range of $13 to $15 million, not $50 million," said Goode. “Since our city manager took his position 2 years ago, the Rehoboth budget has increased 18 percent."
Goode refers back to both of his incumbent "competitors" voting for the "bloated" budget. "The city needs Commissioners who are willing to advocate for taxpayers.”
Goode has a background in economics, government and international policy, all of which he claims qualifies him for the position.
“My skills and experience are exactly what Rehoboth Beach needs to right the ship of its listing government,” Goode said. “I have been a Ph.D. economist and manager for 40 years both in Washington and overseas.”
His experience includes managing a congressional office that performed nonpartisan research on international trade and finance for Congress during the Great Recession. Goode also said he advised the Department of Labor leadership on economic impacts related to overtime and minimum wage regulations.
Goode also served as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service in Egypt, where he conducted economic research and worked with the Egyptian government on market reforms tied to U.S. foreign aid programs.
In addition, Goode said he managed research for the International Labor Organization in Switzerland examining the relationship between weekly work hours and unemployment.
Outside of government service, Goode said he worked as an economic consultant on a USAID-funded project analyzing the economic impacts of COVID-19 on the Middle East and North Africa region.
“As an economist, I know how to evaluate both the benefits and costs of proposals and budgets,” Goode said. “These skills are critical to our future in Rehoboth.”
Goode has also taught economics and statistics as an adjunct professor at American University, Georgetown University, Catholic University and Salisbury University.
Two commissioner positions will be on the ballot, as well as mayor, following Stan Mills announcement to not seek an additional term. Since then, Susan Stewart has filed for the mayor position.
The municipal election takes place on Aug. 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the convention center.
