MILTON, Del. - On Saturday, March 1, Milton will head to the polls to vote in the Town's Municipal election.
CANDIDATES
For Town Council, there are three people running for two seats.
Tom Arkinson is a retired school teacher. He's lived in Milton for 20 years, currently serves on Town Council and is seeking re-election.
Robert Gray is a retired attorney. He has lived in Milton for five years and currently serves on the Milton Board of Adjustment and the Ad-Hoc committee on affordable housing.
Alan Pongratz has lived in Milton for 14 years. He works for DNREC and serves on the board for the Milton Historical Society.
LOCAL CONCERNS
All candidates were asked about a number of issues in the Town. All of the concerns listed below came directly from people CoastTV has spoken with.
Preserving Milton's history
"We absolutely need to preserve. I see downtown Milton, staying downtown Milton," said Arkinson. "Anything new that comes in really needs to fit the feel of what the downtown is like," he continued.
"We have a very nice town, very historical town that we need to keep and preserve that, but we have to develop new tax revenues somehow. The only way that we can do that is through commercial development," said Gray.
"I am on the Board of the Milton Historical Society and would take their concerns and ideas into consideration in preserving the historic areas that are downtown," said Pongratz.
Lack of Parking
"The town has taken a lease on the property next to the museum and that comes with a cost. We, the Town, are looking at ways that is most equitable to have that cost covered," said Arkinson.
"We've donated a lot of money to the fire department for Fire Protection Services. Perhaps we should be talking with them about getting a formal agreement to be able to use those parking areas, particularly the grass field," said Gray.
"I'm not a real big fan of the proposals that went to the finance committee for putting a surcharge on tickets," he continued, referring to the parking impact fee that the council discussed previously.
"I would first like to see how the Milton Historical Society's parking lot impacts the parking issue in the Town. If it relieves some of the parking issues, I would want to hold off on collecting fees," said Pongratz.
Safety and traffic
"Enforcement is a primary tool and on council, I believe that we need to make sure that the police department has the staffing, the equipment to be able to enforce," Arkinson shared.
"I need to compliment the Chief and his officers for what they've done. I would encourage that perhaps more radar use be encouraged," said Gray.
"The Town has a streets and sidewalk committee. I would listen to what they recommend based on their research and base my decisions on their recommendations," Pongratz explained.
VOTING
The election will be held at the Milton Fire Department located at 116 Front St., from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Election results will be shared shortly after polls close.
An ID, driver's license or other form of identification that shows proof of identity and address is required to vote. A current utility bill, bank statement credit card statement, paycheck or other type of bill or statement will be accepted.
Any registered voter that is unable to vote in person on election day must complete an affidavit prior to receiving an absentee ballot. The completed affidavit must be received in Town hall by 12 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025.
Absentee ballots can be mailed to registered voters who completed the affidavit through Feb. 21. If a registered voter needs the ballot after Feb. 21, they must pick it up at Town Hall.
All absentee ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 1.