DEWEY BEACH — A proposal that would have created a search committee to sort possible replacements for Town Manager Gordon Elliott met with opposition at Saturday’s council meeting.
After heated discussion from the audience, the council voted to postpone consideration of the proposal until a public hearing on Oct. 26.
According to Commissioner Marc Appelbaum, Elliott’s five-year contract was scheduled to expire Sept. 10, and former mayor Dell Tush had sent Elliott a letter informing him that the contract would not be extended. The council granted a 90-day extension while it considered its options.
Elliott has worked for the town since 1982 as a patrolman and later as police chief. He has held the town manager position since 2004.
In an executive session, Commissioner Diane Hanson said the council agreed to solicit applications for the position and consider assembling a committee to parse applicants.
“It was an agreement, not a vote,” she said.
Under the town charter, the council must vote publicly on its actions.
Commissioner Martin Seitz said he had publicized the town manager opening in various newspapers, including the Washington Post.
Resident Albert Genemans said the council was trying to oust Elliott inappropriately and its actions lacked transparency.
“It’s all politics and it shouldn’t be,” he said
Dale Cooke said the council had not answered what seemed to be “simple questions” about the process behind Elliott’s replacement.
“It’s very frustrating when you say you’re going to be more transparent and you aren’t,” he said.
Anna Legates, who was initially nominated by Mayor Richard Solloway to the committee, said the council should have made its intentions public and had possible committee members submit their qualifications before council.
“I’ll be disturbed if this isn’t carefully thought out,” she said.
Legates said the initial proposal, which would have created an “exploratory committee” of three members, was poorly conceived.
“I have served on search committees at (Delaware Technical & Community College), and there are never less than five people — even for clerical staff,” she said.
Appelbaum said it was important to hold a second meeting to solicit more committee members and create guidelines for how they would operate.
“We need to rethink this a little bit,” he said. “We should not make any mistakes here.”
Elliott said he has hired an attorney and cannot answer any questions regarding his termination.
He will attend the public hearing, he said, but have no input in committee guidelines or selection.
“I’m only posting what I need to as part of my job,” Elliott said.
Story By: Wallace McKelvey | Daily Times Staff