Velda Jones-Potter (born 1957/1958)[1] is an American 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 unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Wilmington in 2020 and 2024.
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 and went on to win the general election against RepublicanColin Bonini.[6][7] During the campaign, she faced scrutiny for receiving over $100,000 in consulting fees from 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]
Legal controversies
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
^"Wilmington Mayor". Vote 411. August 25, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^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.
^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.
