(March 30, 2017) The Pocomoke City Council District 3 election on April 4 will pit one-term incumbent Councilman Dale Trotter against challenger Monna Van Ess, while incumbent Mayor Bruce Morrison will run unopposed.
Registered voters in the district can cast their ballots at 1410 Market St. between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. for either City Council candidate to serve a three-year term, which will commence on April 10.
Trotter said serving the residents of District 3 was the motivation behind his reelection campaign.
“One of the greatest factors that drove me to running for reelection was the citizens of this wonderful town,” he said.
With more than two decades in law enforcement – and a military background – Trotter said he is service-oriented.
“Service has been my watchword and I have made it a life-long aspiration and choice,” he said. “During my first term as city councilman I have been, and remain committed to, making Pocomoke City a better place for us to live.”
Since relocating his family to Pocomoke from Louisiana in 1994, Trotter said his clan has become enamored of the region.
“Pocomoke City remains a great place to raise a family, and acts as the hub of industry for the southern part of Worcester County that helps to create jobs,” he said.
Trotter said he has witnessed Pocomoke continue to evolve during his first term.
“The downtown area, which I represent, has added five businesses and will soon see repairs being completed to buildings because of grants the city and business owners have worked tirelessly to obtain,” he said. “We also enjoy added activities and festivals that draw interest to our town and help promote the park, Cypress Trail, [the] Delmarva Discovery Center, as well as the downtown business district.”
Additionally, Trotter noted Pocomoke hired an economic development director during his time in office to help businesses boost revenues and to attract new residents and tourists.
“We also recently joined with a neighboring town, Crisfield, to help boost and promote both towns by [adding] a circuit rider [staff member],” he said.
The position, which is funded via a grant from the governor’s office, assists city managers with economic development and tourism pursuits, Trotter said.
“One of the greatest accomplishments of the last couple years is within our wastewater treatment facility,” he said. “First, we have obtained a grant that, once fully organized, will aide in revitalization of our Clarke Avenue pump station, and we recently completed an ongoing study … regarding water service to our citizens.”
Trotter said he has strived to be approachable to both city employees and residents.
“I have always been reachable by email, Facebook or even the knock on my door,” he said. “I have tried to handle your complaints – and praise – as timely as possible.”
Trotter said he is excited by both what has been accomplished during his first term and what remains to be done.
“I do not take the position for granted and will remain thankful to God for the opportunity to serve the people,” he said.
Challenger Van Ess said, in addition to being a graduate of Pocomoke High School, she also worked for 17 years as a finance coordinator for the city.
“I’ve lived here almost my whole life,” she said. “I’m 55, so that’s quite a number of years.”
After obtaining a degree in accounting from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Van Ness worked in that field for more than three decades.
“I retired three years ago on disability from the city,” she said.
Boasting four decades as a member of the Bethany United Methodist Church in Pocomoke, Van Ess has also served on the Worcester County Women’s Commission and has an extensive background working with the Samaritan Shelter, a Christian ministry in Pocomoke that assists individuals in crisis situations.
After regularly attending council meetings, she expressed her dismay with what she has witnessed recently.
“It seems like they’re getting farther and farther away from the people, and the people just don’t have a voice,” she said. “It seems like the people have given up. They don’t want to attend the meetings and don’t think anything can change.”
Van Ess thinks she can give a voice to the disenfranchised.
“My district is primarily African-American … and I think those people have come to be fearful of government over the past year or two, where we saw the problems with the policing across the country – and here,” she said.
Van Ess said much of the local tension stems from the firing of former Police Chief Kelvin Sewell in the summer of 2015. Sewell was the first African-American to hold the position.
“They had really connected with him and then … he was fired abruptly. And, of course, there is a pending ACLU lawsuit. I think that it turned, especially the African-Americans, away from government and the police,” she said. “They just feel kind of left out of the loop and there’s no hope of getting back into the loop.”
She said addressing racial divisions was a priority.
“I do know the town and I think I know what I’m getting into,” she said. “I think I know how to communicate or interpret things for people.”
As evidence of her community outreach efforts, Van Ess said she made a point to list her phone number on campaign literature.
“Anyone can call me, and I don’t want them to hesitate to call,” she said.
Although Van Ess recognizes the importance of tourism to Pocomoke, she sees more immediate priorities.
“I think we need to work on our infrastructure and then the people will come and stay, not just come for a particular event,” she said. “I bet we haven’t had a dozen houses built in the community in the past couple years.”
Van Ess said she and her supporters would continue their door-to-door campaigning during the run up to election day, Tuesday, to encourage the roughly 250 households in District 3 to turn out.
“We’re putting out door hangers to remind people,” she said.
Despite numerous fiscal concerns for Pocomoke, Van Ess said healing the perceived division between citizens and the police was her goal.
“I want to try to remove that divide and try to bring things together and have everybody live in peace,” she said.
Registered voters in the district can cast their ballots at 1410 Market St. between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. for either City Council candidate to serve a three-year term, which will commence on April 10.
Trotter said serving the residents of District 3 was the motivation behind his reelection campaign.
“One of the greatest factors that drove me to running for reelection was the citizens of this wonderful town,” he said.
With more than two decades in law enforcement – and a military background – Trotter said he is service-oriented.
“Service has been my watchword and I have made it a life-long aspiration and choice,” he said. “During my first term as city councilman I have been, and remain committed to, making Pocomoke City a better place for us to live.”
Since relocating his family to Pocomoke from Louisiana in 1994, Trotter said his clan has become enamored of the region.
“Pocomoke City remains a great place to raise a family, and acts as the hub of industry for the southern part of Worcester County that helps to create jobs,” he said.
Trotter said he has witnessed Pocomoke continue to evolve during his first term.
“The downtown area, which I represent, has added five businesses and will soon see repairs being completed to buildings because of grants the city and business owners have worked tirelessly to obtain,” he said. “We also enjoy added activities and festivals that draw interest to our town and help promote the park, Cypress Trail, [the] Delmarva Discovery Center, as well as the downtown business district.”
Additionally, Trotter noted Pocomoke hired an economic development director during his time in office to help businesses boost revenues and to attract new residents and tourists.
“We also recently joined with a neighboring town, Crisfield, to help boost and promote both towns by [adding] a circuit rider [staff member],” he said.
The position, which is funded via a grant from the governor’s office, assists city managers with economic development and tourism pursuits, Trotter said.
“One of the greatest accomplishments of the last couple years is within our wastewater treatment facility,” he said. “First, we have obtained a grant that, once fully organized, will aide in revitalization of our Clarke Avenue pump station, and we recently completed an ongoing study … regarding water service to our citizens.”
Trotter said he has strived to be approachable to both city employees and residents.
“I have always been reachable by email, Facebook or even the knock on my door,” he said. “I have tried to handle your complaints – and praise – as timely as possible.”
Trotter said he is excited by both what has been accomplished during his first term and what remains to be done.
“I do not take the position for granted and will remain thankful to God for the opportunity to serve the people,” he said.
Challenger Van Ess said, in addition to being a graduate of Pocomoke High School, she also worked for 17 years as a finance coordinator for the city.
“I’ve lived here almost my whole life,” she said. “I’m 55, so that’s quite a number of years.”
After obtaining a degree in accounting from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Van Ness worked in that field for more than three decades.
“I retired three years ago on disability from the city,” she said.
Boasting four decades as a member of the Bethany United Methodist Church in Pocomoke, Van Ess has also served on the Worcester County Women’s Commission and has an extensive background working with the Samaritan Shelter, a Christian ministry in Pocomoke that assists individuals in crisis situations.
After regularly attending council meetings, she expressed her dismay with what she has witnessed recently.
“It seems like they’re getting farther and farther away from the people, and the people just don’t have a voice,” she said. “It seems like the people have given up. They don’t want to attend the meetings and don’t think anything can change.”
Van Ess thinks she can give a voice to the disenfranchised.
“My district is primarily African-American … and I think those people have come to be fearful of government over the past year or two, where we saw the problems with the policing across the country – and here,” she said.
Van Ess said much of the local tension stems from the firing of former Police Chief Kelvin Sewell in the summer of 2015. Sewell was the first African-American to hold the position.
“They had really connected with him and then … he was fired abruptly. And, of course, there is a pending ACLU lawsuit. I think that it turned, especially the African-Americans, away from government and the police,” she said. “They just feel kind of left out of the loop and there’s no hope of getting back into the loop.”
She said addressing racial divisions was a priority.
“I do know the town and I think I know what I’m getting into,” she said. “I think I know how to communicate or interpret things for people.”
As evidence of her community outreach efforts, Van Ess said she made a point to list her phone number on campaign literature.
“Anyone can call me, and I don’t want them to hesitate to call,” she said.
Although Van Ess recognizes the importance of tourism to Pocomoke, she sees more immediate priorities.
“I think we need to work on our infrastructure and then the people will come and stay, not just come for a particular event,” she said. “I bet we haven’t had a dozen houses built in the community in the past couple years.”
Van Ess said she and her supporters would continue their door-to-door campaigning during the run up to election day, Tuesday, to encourage the roughly 250 households in District 3 to turn out.
“We’re putting out door hangers to remind people,” she said.
Despite numerous fiscal concerns for Pocomoke, Van Ess said healing the perceived division between citizens and the police was her goal.
“I want to try to remove that divide and try to bring things together and have everybody live in peace,” she said.