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New Castle County councilmembers debate state bill to shift election of council president to internal vote
Summary
Council members discussed a resolution asking the Delaware General Assembly to amend Title 9 of the Delaware Code to let the county council elect its president from among councilmembers after 2032 redistricting; the item prompted extended debate over voter representation and local practice and drew multiple requests to be listed as cosponsors.
Councilwoman Durham introduced a resolution asking the Delaware General Assembly to amend Delaware Code Title 9 so the New Castle County Council president would be elected by the council from among its members after the next decennial redistricting.
The measure, presented as Resolution 25-097, would align New Castle County’s process with how Kent and Sussex counties choose their council presidents and would take effect after the 2032 redistricting, when a 13th council district is expected to be created. “The difference between this bill … is it puts it out far enough in the future that hopefully none of us here would be, or very few of us at least, if not none of us would be impacted,” Councilwoman Durham said.
Why it matters: council president selection touches both local representation and longstanding county practice. Supporters said electing a president from among equally sized districts would place councilmembers on a more equal legislative footing. “If we're going to have a separate level government, we are not going to be like Kent and Sussex because we would get rid of the county executive… This is just understanding basic government function,” Councilman Carter said.
Opponents warned the change would remove a countywide vote for president and reduce direct voter accountability. “To remove a position like this and take the vote from all the voters to me … I would not want to put my vote into the hands of 13 people,” Council President Johns said. Several members repeatedly asked how the change would affect the president’s day‑to‑day responsibilities and whether county rules would need to be revised.
Council discussion also reviewed the measure’s legislative history. Councilman Smiley and others said similar legislation had been considered in prior years but had not advanced in Dover. Public commenter Rob Bullock asked whether the president’s seat is at large and whether the new 13th district could instead be absorbed into the existing 12 districts; he was told district configuration will be determined by the redistricting process.
Several councilmembers asked to be added as sponsors or cosponsors of the county resolution. The transcript records multiple expressions of support and concern but does not record a formal committee vote on the resolution during the Finance Committee meeting.
The committee deferred further procedural steps; sponsors indicated the item will be forwarded as a county resolution and discussions with state lawmakers will continue. No final legislative action by the General Assembly is recorded in the committee transcript.
