REHOBOTH BEACH, DE — Tensions are running high in Rehoboth Beach as the hiring of a new city manager continues to spark debate among residents. Conversations have surrounded Taylor Tedder's salary, set at $250,000 annually, along with a $750,000 loan that will be forgiven if he remains with the city for seven years.
At a recent City Commissioners workshop, discussions shifted from Tedder's compensation to the hiring requirements outlined in the city charter. The charter stipulates that candidates for the city manager position must have four years of engineering experience and four years of city management experience. Tedder falls short, boasting only three years of city management experience.
Mayor Stan Mills staunchly defended the unanimous decision by council, stating,
“Our hiring of Mr. Tedder, by unanimous vote, was a statement that our hiring of Taylor complies with the spirit of the charter in ensuring that a satisfactory candidate is city manager.”
The city solicitor echoed this sentiment, citing another section of the charter, 17B, that allows commissioners to impose additional conditions on the hire as deemed necessary.
However, some neighbors remain unconvinced by the justification provided,
“That doesn’t mean in place of, the plain language states requirements of four years as city manager or an engineer - it’s in addition to that. He simply is not qualified in the plain letter of the city charter,” said Jim Johnson.
Others, like Dayne Northern continue to be frustrated with the benefits package and view this action as a 'clean up' effort,
“I think it’s somebody trying to cover their path, they are trying to make it match but it’s already too late. I'm just disappointed, I’m disappointed in the compensation package, I'm disappointed in the recruiting effort, there’s so many things that could be done.” said Northern.
She continued, "In the interest of the public and the citizens of Rehoboth Beach they should put every ounce of effort into cancelling the contract and undoing it. It doesn't work, it doesn't work for our city - it's way overpriced, it's egregious."
And others, still trying to wrap their head around the situation,
“The question is - how did he get the job? Did they send it out to a search firm? I don’t know." said Mark Basile.
He continued, "They say, ‘Well we had to make it a sweet deal,' well you can make it a sweet deal from 150 to 175, 150 to 200, how can you go from 150 to 250 that quickly?”
The town had initially discussed amending the charter but has since postponed the discussion, likely next year's legislative session, citing the need for more time for deliberation and discussion with the community.
Tedder is slated to begin his new position on May 15th.
