Two Wesley Grads Compete for Dover City Council

By Kristen Griffith, The Whetstone

 

Former SGA president and Wesley alumnus Tanner Polce is running for Dover City Council.

A Wesley adjunct professor in business and political science, Polce graduated in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and earned a Master’s degree in 2014.

He said it was his experience at Wesley that led him to run for city council.

“Every experience I had in politics is because of a door that was opened by Wesley,” he said.

Polce is running against two other Dover locals – William Garfinkel and Matthew Lindell, who also attended Wesley from 1999 to 2005 and also earned bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

Polce served as SGA president for two terms – 2010 to 2012. He said his executive board did tremendous work during those two years.

“We built the Wellness Center and Malmberg gym, we expanded security cameras across campus, we partnered with student activities to really intensify and enhance intermural

sports and of course the streetscape and so much more,” he said.

Political Science Professor Anthony Armstrong said Polce was responsible for obtaining SGA’s independence.

“He took on the fight and did a number of things to benefit the students,” he said.

Armstrong said Polce is more than capable to serve as a council member.

“My guess is that his running for city council is the beginning of what he plans to be a political career,” he said.

Polce said to watch out for the millennials from Wesley who are involved with politics, like Jen Jankowski, who is currently the Vice President of SGA and Wesley’s third legislative fellow.

“I think Tanner is capable of winning the election after seeing how diligent and dedicated he is to his work,” Jankowski said. “He genuinely wants to help Dover and I believe the voters will see that.”

Lindell also served as the SGA president after he was the secretary.

“I wasn’t officially elected (as president) but the entire executive team had to resign because I found them trying to pay themselves,” Lindell said. “I found the POs (purchase orders) in the office and I turned them in.”

Armstrong said it turned into a big scandal.

“Students got together and marched into the dining room to talk to the president of the college about this,” he said.

Lindell teaches history at Cape Henlopen High School and serves on the Capital School District Board of Education.

Polce went from serving as SGA president for two years to working in state government for four. He currently works as the policy director for Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long.

“My day-to-day activity is really a backbone and a foundation to be a really good councilman,” he said.

Polce said he ran because he wasn’t happy with the direction Dover was going.

“I think I can bring skills to the council that might not necessarily be there right now,” he said. “It’s time for me to really inspire a new shift and change of direction in the city and really look to motivate individuals who have not been involved in the past.”

Polce said one of the things he wants to improve if elected is to reduce the homeless population.

“We have a tremendous amount of homelessness and people say the easiest way to get rid of them is to give them a shelter, but there’s so much more to do than that,” he said, including addressing mental health and addiction.

Polce said he doesn’t know Garfinkel or Lindell but thinks his ability to bring stakeholders together may put him ahead of them.

“What I’m willing to always do is listen and bring those stakeholders together in an effort to be unified on whatever issue it might be,” he said. “I can’t speak to if they have those same abilities or not but I know I do. I do it every single day.”

Lindell said he wants to improve the city’s fiscal responsibility.

“A government for the people, by the people should not be exempt from having to make tough decisions with the budget, and not raising taxes every time,” he said. “We need to be smart with our dollars and use them appropriately.”

Lindell said government officials can’t make everyone happy but they can make decisions that are best for the community, which is what he plans to do.

“I’m going to call balls and strikes as I see the issues and listen to all sides of the argument before making any important decisions,” he said.

Polce said if he doesn’t win, it would be a good learning experience.

“I’ll probably take a few days and see what I could have done better, but the work will still need to be done,” he said.