Election Day is tomorrow and both contenders—Allan Falcoff and Scudder Stevens—continue to exchange broadsides over the issues each considers the most pressing
By P.J. D’Annunzio, Staff Writer, KennettTimes.com
KENNETT — The heated words between Kennett Township’s incumbent Allan Falcoff and Democratic challenger Scudder Stevens have reached a fever pitch, with both candidates and their supporters engaged in open verbal warfare over issues ranging from Open Space to the township audit to lack of governmental transparency.
Falcoff’s campaign has targeted Stevens and Southern Chester County Land Conservancy Chairperson Kate DuPont, stating that they have been “funneling money into self-serving interests.” Falcoff asserts that Stevens’ and DuPont’s properties reap the benefits of the Open Space initiative because, allegedly, those properties border the majority of the preserved land in the township. The Falcoff campaign also claims that Stevens served on the former Kennett Township Land Trust Board during the time of the designation of the conserved areas in question.
These are claims that Stevens sharply contests.
“That’s erroneous for many reasons,” Stevens said, “The primary aspect of it is that the State Line Woods Preserve property, against which a portion of my property abuts, is a small part of all of the preserved lands in the township. The implications in the ad [circulated by the Chester County Press] and Falcoff’s mailing is that I somehow have a conflict of interests…the fact is that I have no conflict of interest. I have lived at that location for 30 years. State Line Woods Preserve has been there as a conserved space for maybe five years. I had absolutely nothing to do with it being created. I did not serve on the board of the Land Trust that created it. “
“The truth of it is every single supervisor either has a conservation easement that he got a tax deduction for—that would be Tom Nale and Michael Elling—or they live in communities that are surrounded by Open Space,” Stevens’ campaign manager Jeff Yetter said.
“Every single piece of Open Space in this township has been approved with a vote of 3-0 from the supervisors,” Yetter continued. “They’re the ones who select where it goes. The Land Conservancy serves as an advisor: someone will come to them and say ‘we want to conserve our land,’ they’re like the shepherd…they help them through the process.”
The Stevens’ campaign alleges that Falcoff’s recent claims against him are a red herring designed to distract voters from the recent push from Stevens and numerous township residents to obtain information about the recent Kennett Township audit and its auditor, who seemingly has disappeared.
In response to Stevens’ requests, the township furnished him with the name of the company and the CPA supposedly responsible for the audit. A search conducted by The Kennett Times, consulting with local Certified Public Accountants, uncovered no information as to the whereabouts of the auditor or the company, SGR & Co., in PA or DE: SGR & Co. allegedly operates out of Wilmington, DE.
Stevens was then given a P.O. Box number—supposedly located at the Talleyville, DE Post Office—from which the auditor was said to have used for business purposes. However, a further search conducted by The Kennett Times revealed that the designated P.O. Box was not present or accounted for at the post office and furthermore, never existed at all, as stated by Post Office employees.
Township Secretary, Manager, and Treasurer Lisa Moore was unavailable for comment on this issue.
Despite the validity or lack thereof to either side’s allegations against one another, Kennett Township voters will have to decide for themselves who is telling the truth when they converge on the polls tomorrow, casting their votes in what has become one of the most contested races in the township’s recent history.
For more information on the two candidates, reference:
FALCOFF: https://kennetttimes.com/?p=1352
STEVENS: https://kennetttimes.com/?p=1389
Folks, there you have it from the horses mouth!
Yesterday the voters responded by electing Scudder Stevens and ignored what was coming from the other end of the horse.
Joe Duffy – Scudder campaign
The accusations by Brian Gore (Our town Manager/Treasurers boy friend) are laughable and show the desperation of the Falcoff campaign. So funny how Falcoff can try to use the accomplishments of the DuPont Company to give him credibility but in the same breath try to say the family eases land for self-serving purposes. It is common knowledge that the Dupont family is the most generous family in the area. Giving millions to area schools, YMCA’s and almost every cause in the area…..how self serving!! Kate duPont is following in the families tradition of philanthropy by giving 100’s of hours of her time and 1000’s of dollars so that EVERYONE can have the opportunity to enjoy open space.
Have any of you been on eased land on Mike Elling’s, Allan Falcoff’s or Tom Nales property? All three current supervisors received over $100,000.00 in compensation for the eased land in their back yards which is used ONLY by them…..The two preserves near our home are used by hundreds every week and are maintained by volunteers including Kate and I. We have no regrets supporting the Land Conservancy and will continue to donate our money and time no matter who is supervisor in Kennett…..because it is the right thing to do for Kennett community. We have received $0 in compensation.
I find it very interesting that 2 out of 3 local newspapers REFUSED to run Brian Gores and Allan Facoffs latest add. When asked why they refused to run the add they said ” It was obvious the statements were false and with absolutely no merit” When Randy Lieberman owner of the Southern Chester County Press was asked why he ran an obvious false advertisement he response was ” THIS IS HOW WE MAKE OUR MONEY” enough said….
Helping to preserve land for EVERYONE and very proud of it!!
Alfred duPont