Velda Jones-Potter
Treasurer of Delaware
In office
January 20, 2009 – January 1, 2011
GovernorJack Markell
Preceded byJack Markell
Succeeded byChip Flowers
Personal details
Born1957 or 1958 (age 65–66)[1]
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseCharles Potter Jr.
EducationUniversity of Delaware (BS)
Indiana University, Bloomington (MBA)

Velda Jones-Potter is a Delaware businesswoman and politician. She was appointed by Jack Markell to finish out his term as Delaware State Treasurer when he was elected governor in 2008. She lost her bid for election in the 2010 Democratic primary to Chip Flowers. She is currently the Wilmington City Treasurer and a candidate for mayor in the 2024 election.

Early life and career

Jones-Potter attended P. S. Dupont High School. She was the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering.[2] Jones-Potter obtained her MBA from Indiana University. She worked for DuPont for 17 years and served as an executive vice president for MBNA.[3]

Political career

When Jack Markell was elected governor in 2008, he appointed Jones-Potter to finish out his term as Delaware State Treasurer.[4] She became the first African American to hold statewide office in Delaware.[5] She ran for election to the position in 2010 as the incumbent but lost in the Democratic primary to Chip Flowers, who won with 54 percent over Jones-Potter and went on to win the general election against Republican Colin Bonini.[6][7] During the campaign, she faced scrutiny for receiving over $100,000 in consulting fees by the City of Wilmington between 2007 and 2010.[8][9]

In 2016, Jones-Potter won the three-way Democratic primary for Wilmington City Treasurer with 40 percent against Darius J. Brown and Kenneth Matlusky.[10] She was elected unopposed in the general election.[11] By winning this election, Jones-Potter became the first African-American woman to serve as the Wilmington City Treasurer.[2] In 2018, The News Journal reported that she had sought a raise of $21,647, or nearly 20 percent over her current salary of $113,933, as well as raises for her appointees in the treasury department.[12]

In 2017, Jones-Potter and her husband, Charles Potter Jr., were at risk of losing their home to a sheriff's sale as a result of "ongoing litigation stemming from home repairs."[13] A Delaware Superior Court judge rejected all of the couple's complaints after finding them liable for failing to pay a construction contractor over $60,000 and criticized their "kitchen sink" tactics in the litigation.[14][15] The Delaware Supreme Court rejected two appeals by the couple, and upheld a judgement of $116,000, plus interest, against them in 2018.[16]

In 2018, the Delaware Superior Court rejected an attempt by the Potters to force the City of Wilmington's Licenses and Inspections Department to hold the contractor liable for code violations. The judge ruled that the couple cannot use the city to obtain compensation for losing their earlier legal disputes and criticized their use of the courts as spiteful.[17] The Potters' appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court was rejected in 2019.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Wilmington Mayor". Vote 411. August 25, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Three Delaware women reflect on local Black History [video]". WHYY. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  3. ↑ "Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter: Biography". Delaware Office of the State Treasurer. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Markell announces state treasurer appointee". Cape Gazette. January 13, 2009.
  5. ↑ "History made as Jones-Potter is sworn-in as treasurer". CommunityPub.com. January 20, 2009. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011.
  6. ↑ "State of Delaware Primary Election Results (2010)". Office of the State Election Commissioner. Delaware Department of Elections. September 14, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  7. ↑ "State of Delaware General Election Results (2010)". Office of the State Election Commissioner. Delaware Department of Elections. November 2, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Report: Del. treasurer paid as a consultant". WHYY. August 26, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Flowers overcomes Jones-Potter in treasurers primary". Delaware Public Media. September 15, 2010.
  10. ↑ "State of Delaware Primary Election Results (2016)". Office of the State Election Commissioner. Delaware Department of Elections. November 13, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  11. ↑ "State of Delaware General Election Results (2016)". Office of the State Election Commissioner. Delaware Department of Elections. November 8, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  12. ↑ Jedra, Christina (February 15, 2018). "Wilmington Treasurer Jones-Potter seeks over $20,000 pay bump". The News Journal.
  13. ↑ Cherry, Amy (August 15, 2017). "Potters' Wilmington home up for sheriff sale over ongoing home repairs dispute". WDEL 1150 AM.
  14. ↑ Parra, Esteban; Jedra, Christina (August 16, 2017). "Political duo's Wilmington home faces sheriff's sale". The News Journal. A well-known political duo may lose their Wilmington house at next month's sheriff's sale following nearly five years of litigation over a home-improvement contract that a judge referred to as 'tortured history.' ... The defendants' tactics were compared to a 'kitchen sink' approach by Superior Court Judge Abigail M. LeGrow who last month denied—in great detail—an appeal by the Potters.
  15. ↑ Chase, Randall (June 1, 2017). "Judge rules against Wilmington's Rep. Potter in home improvement lawsuit". Associated Press. WDEL 1150 AM.
  16. ↑ Chase, Randall (March 2, 2018). "Appeal from Potters rejected by Delaware Supreme Court". Associated Press. The News Journal.
  17. ↑ Jedra, Christina (April 16, 2018). "Wilmington not obligated to join Potters' housing battle, judge says". The News Journal. Judge Charles Butler said on Monday it is Wilmington's prerogative whether or not to enforce code violations and that he would not order the administration to get involved. 'Y'all fought your fight with SC&A... the litigation didn't turn out well,' Butler said. 'So now you want to use the city's L&I enforcement authority to get what you didn't get in your arbitration action." ... The judge suggested the money the Potters spent on a lawyer would be better spent just fixing the work they allege is defective. 'These people are all cutting off their nose to spite their face,' Butler said.
  18. ↑ "Ex-state lawmaker and wife lose again in home repair spat". SFGate. Dover, Delaware. Associated Press. January 7, 2019.
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