CCSD President Tipp and VP McCall Both On New Castle Town Ballot

Current President and 10 year veteran of the CCSD Board of Education Victoria Bayard Tipp and current Vice President, Holly McCall, who is finishing out her first 3 year term, are both candidates in the upcoming Democratic primary for the New Castle Town Board. This follows a year of tension between the current Town Board and the CCSD Board of Education around the much discussed Form Based Code that is being proposed by the current Town Board. As an Interested Party to the proposed legislation, the CCSD Board of Education has expressed serious concerns about the Form Based Code as described in the DGEIS (Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement) as well as an update to the proposed plan announced on February 21st of this year.

Tipp is running as a "write in" candidate as part of the Unite New Castle slate for the two year unexpired term on the town board against Jennifer Bounds. Residents voting for Tipp will be required to write in her full name – Victoria Bayard Tipp – in the space provided for write in candidates for the two year unexpired term for any vote to count. Tipp replaced Jenni Louis-Jeune on the Unite New Castle slate after Louis-Jeune announced she would be leaving the election in May due to an unexpected family relocation related to employment.

McCall is running for town supervisor at the top of the 4 New Castle slate against current town board member Lisa Katz, who is finishing out her 8th year on the town board after being elected by residents in competitive races in 2013 and again in 2017.

Both Tipp and McCall signed a letter detailing the concerns of the CCSD Board of Education on March 24, 2021 about the form based code proposal. In an unusual development, McCall has changed her position and now supports the proposal, distancing herself from her previous concerns during a recent candidates night. Katz questioned how McCall could change her position between the time she had signed the letter as a member of the school board in late March and the night of the debate in late May. McCall, who is still on the school board, said that she viewed those concerns as only relevant to her role on the CCSD school board and not for the position she is seeking as town supervisor. As voters digest that explanation, Tipp’s concerns about the form based code have remained consistent and her concern about the proposal is one of the reasons she is looking to continue her public service to the town in a new role. This also sets up a potentially uncomfortable relationship between the town board and the CCSD if McCall were to win the election. Tipp has stressed that she would be very helpful in helping to bridge the divide between the town board and the CCSD as part of the town board.

Residents who are registered Democrats will have their first chance to provide feedback in the upcoming primary. Tipp, McCall, Katz and Bounds, along with the remaining four candidates on the two competing slates are all on the ballot in November as well when all registered voters will have a chance to conclusively weigh in to determine the next town board.