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Rehoboth Beach mayor outlines package of charter changes; provision limiting simultaneous service draws questions
Summary
Mayor Sam Mills told the committee the City of Rehoboth Beach seeks 15 charter updates, including replacing a $3,000,000 fixed tax cap with a percentage-based cap and modernizing administrative provisions. Committee members and residents questioned a proposed restriction preventing spouses or cohabitants from serving simultaneously; city counsel said the change is narrowly focused and not targeted at any individual.
Mayor Sam Mills of Rehoboth Beach presented a set of 15 proposed charter amendments to the Senate Elections & Government Affairs Committee, saying the package was the result of more than a year of public workshops and was approved by the city's Board of Commissioners on 04/06/2026.
"This package represents the first major update to the city's charter in many years," Mills said. He highlighted a change that would replace a long-standing fixed $3,000,000 cap on annual property-tax revenue with a percentage-based cap described in testimony as "point 1% of total assessed taxable property," and said the bill "does not, by language or intent, raise taxes." Mills also listed updates to eligibility requirements, administrative processes, and penalties for ordinance violations.
Committee members raised a concern, relayed by a constituent (Tom Gaynor), that a proposed qualification requiring that candidates not be a spouse, domestic partner, or cohabitant of a serving commissioner could be targeted at a particular individual. The city's solicitor (introduced in testimony) disputed that reading, saying the provision is narrowly focused on simultaneous service and intended to address conflicts of interest and the appearance of coordinated decision-making.
Marissa White of legislative services said she reviewed municipal charters across the counties and did not find a similar restriction, but noted that most municipalities include candidate qualifications.
Resident Frances Kelleher testified in person against many of the changes, arguing that the charter's historic language and some proposed revisions should remain unchanged and that the substantive changes highlighted in her written comments could be detrimental.
Committee members asked technical questions about filing an affidavit to confirm eligibility and about how the provision would operate; the solicitor and city representatives said the change would require an affidavit and is meant to prevent impermissible simultaneous service.
The committee heard the city's presentation and public testimony; no committee vote on the charter amendments was recorded during the session.
