Delaware
Meet Rehoboth Beach’s new city manager, Taylour Tedder
Hopes to keep Clear Space in town; no plans for Poodle restrooms
After a six-month nationwide search, Rehoboth Beach has a new city manager who’s ready to have a “direct, positive impact on residents, businesses, and visitors in the city on a daily basis.”
Taylour Tedder, 35, started his term as Rehoboth’s City Manager on May 15 and sat down with the Washington Blade to discuss his goals in office, some concerns he has, and what he’s most excited about in Rehoboth.
“I’ve been here for a couple of weeks and they have been outstanding,” Tedder said. “I’ve met a lot of welcoming people.”
Before Tedder became the city manager in Rehoboth, he was a city manager in Boulder City, Nev. There he undertook strategic planning initiatives, enhanced community engagement, and was awarded the Triple Crown Award from the Government Finance Officers Association.
His first few days have centered around familiarizing himself with Rehoboth and figuring out what to do first. “I have spent the first couple weeks meeting with the key staff, touring the various departments and facilities,” he said. “I am looking for initial ways to improve processes and procedures to ensure that we’re serving the residents and visitors of Rehoboth Beach at the highest standard possible.”
Beyond his professional goals, Tedder, who has been married to his wife since 2017 and identifies as straight, considers himself an ally to the LGBTQ community.
“I definitely consider myself an ally. And I’m very, very happy to help in any way I can.”
One of the ways he plans to support Rehoboth’s LGBTQ community is by backing CAMP Rehoboth, whose mission is to “Create A More Positive environment that is inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Southern Delaware and beyond.”
“I really firmly believe that Rehoboth Beach is a very inclusive community and I’m looking forward to furthering that,” he said. “I’ve been really impressed. I didn’t know much about CAMP Rehoboth before coming here and it seems like a wonderful organization. I’m really looking forward to meeting all those folks and getting to know their priorities and vision.”
In addition to supporting the community, Tedder identified multiple areas he wants to change in the city government to make Rehoboth more efficient and citizen-serving. Among those proposed changes is implementing new technologies to make business with the city easier, diversifying revenues, finishing capital improvement projects, and his biggest focus — implementing strategic planning initiatives.
“The city does not have a specific strategic plan or mission or vision statements,” Tedder said when discussing his goals. “I would like to lead the city through a strategic planning process, and have actual, tangible deliverables that we as staff can carry out and accomplish so that we’re accomplishing the policy goals of the City Commission.”
One of the goals of the City Commission is to keep the Clear Space Theatre in Rehoboth amid ongoing speculation that it may move to neighboring Lewes.
“It’s a top priority to keep it in the city,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll be working on that in the future.”
He also touched on improving infrastructure projects in Rehoboth.
“There are a lot of improvements being done with the wastewater facility. But you know, road maintenance and equipment replacement will definitely be a top priority.”
When asked if there were plans to bring restrooms to Poodle Beach, the historically gay section of Rehoboth’s beach near the south end of the boardwalk, he said there were not.
“I’m not aware of plans on the south end. We do have restrooms that the beach patrol facility is under complete reconstruction, Tedder said. “We do have portable restroom trailers out there but I’m not sure how close they are.”
In addition to policy goals, he also talked about his paycheck, which has drawn attention and criticism in the past few weeks.
Some residents of Rehoboth were taken aback when they found out Tedder would be paid more than the governor of Delaware. Tedder will receive a $250,000 annual salary, $50,000 for moving expenses, and a $750,000 forgivable housing loan.
Tedder explained that his salary was determined through close evaluations of the city’s budget and his skill level. He also pointed out that there is no deficit in the city’s finances and the city is “not operating at a loss.”
“I really have been trying not to be distracted by the online public reaction, it’s been really important to focus on the job and utilize my skills and experience to effectively serve the community,” Tedder said. “It’s a high-cost area to live in and I really think I was just kind of the right person in the right place at the right time. What the Board of Commissioners was looking for really matched my experience and the city matched what my professional interests are. I am really, really excited.”
He continued, explaining that this sort of criticism can come up for any government official, but his experience in budgeting is what will prove he will “pay for himself.”
“I really like taking a look at all of the spending that we’re doing,” he said. “Sometimes there is software that you’re paying for that you don’t need. Sometimes there are ways to negotiate standardized contracts for goods and services where we can generate significant savings. I have done that in every city that I’ve worked for, and have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars and just savings on contracts.”
Tedder explained to the Blade that he got involved in city planning after graduating from college.
“I started as an assistant to a city manager,” he said. “I thought that I wanted to go to law school. I was talking with various people and I was told to take a look at the Master of Public Administration degree. I had never really understood anything about city management so I took a look at it, and I was, like, ‘Wow! This is something I’d be really interested in.’”
He is excited to begin working for the Rehoboth community because of his passion for city management.
“My general thought in city government is that we are here to serve everyone equally. I truly am going to serve the city fulfilling all the duties as the city manager and I’m looking forward to increasing the communication with residents and business owners and visitors.”
Delaware
Delaware marriage equality bill advances out of committee
Measure will now go before full state Senate
The bill that would amend Delaware’s state constitution to codify same-sex marriage advanced out of the Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday and now goes to the Senate chamber for a vote. If passed, the vote would go on to the House.
Three members of the committee voted favorable and one voted on its merits, meaning the member recommends the chamber take action on the legislation but does not take a position on what action should be taken.
Senate Bill 100 was introduced in April by Democratic Sen. Russ Huxtable of the sixth district of Delaware and has 21 co-sponsors. It is the first leg of an amendment to the Delaware Constitution. The act would “establish the right to marry as a fundamental right and that Delaware and its political subdivisions shall recognize marriages and issue marriage licenses to couples regardless of gender.”
Senate Substitute One was adopted in lieu of the original bill on May 16. SB 100 originally focused exclusively on marriage equality relating to gender and the bill was tweaked to include protection for all classes that fall under Delaware’s Equal Rights Amendment, including race, color, national origin, and sex.
The Wednesday committee meeting heard testimony on SS 1 for SB 100 from individuals and organizations, including John Reynolds, Deputy Policy and Advocacy Director of Delaware’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“After hard fought recent victories, the rights of LGBTQ Americans are under attack in many places across our country,” Reynolds said during his testimony. “It is important that Delaware be proactive and serve as a firewall protecting individual civil liberties. SS 1 for SB 100 is an example of this important work cementing the protections for marriage equality in our state constitution.”
According to Sen. Huxtable, the ACLU helped provide feedback on some of the bill’s language. Reynolds said the ACLU thought it was important to testify because this is a moment when so much is changing.
“These attacks are not just on specific communities, they’re on this concept of equality and liberty,” Reynolds told the Washington Blade. “We need to build these firewalls to both prevent harm to folks on the frontline of these attacks but also ensure that we don’t set very problematic and damaging standards that can be used to roll back protections for large [swaths] of our population.”
SS 1 for SB 100 requires a vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to pass. If passed, the next General Assembly after the next general election also has to pass it. Delaware is the only state in the country that can amend its state constitution without a vote of the people.
The Respect for Marriage Act was passed by the United States Congress in 2022 and signed into law by then-President Joe Biden. It codifies the right to same-sex and interracial marriage, requiring all states to recognize validly performed marriages from other states, regardless of whether they allow same-sex marriage within their own borders.
In Virginia, a bill codifying marriage equality was signed into law in 2024. California, Colorado and Hawaii have also passed amendments to codify same-sex marriage into their constitutions.
“We at the ACLU of Delaware are very excited that SS 1 for SB 100 passed out of committee yesterday,” Reynolds said. “It represents both Sen. Huxtable and the Delaware Legislature’s clear commitment to proactively protecting people’s rights within the LGBT community and outside to ensure that in this moment of uncertainty, we don’t sit idly by and wait for the worst to happen but take control of the things that we can to build the communities that we want.”
Delaware
Delaware considers enshrining same-sex marriage into state Constitution
Senate Executive Committee will hear testimony on Wednesday
Delaware is considering amending its state Constitution to codify same-sex marriage. The bill, SB 100, will be heard in committee on Wednesday.
SB 100 was introduced in April 2025 by Democratic Sen. Russ Huxtable of the sixth district of Delaware and is the first leg of an amendment to the Delaware Constitution. The act would “establish the right to marry as a fundamental right and that Delaware and its political subdivisions shall recognize marriages and issue marriage licenses to couples regardless of gender.”
“[SB 100] really came from the community that I represent and so that was the inspiration behind it, addressing concerns that my constituents have,” Huxtable told the Washington Blade.
CAMP Rehoboth, an LGBTQ community center and advocacy organization based in Rehoboth Beach, sent a letter to members of the Senate Executive Committee in support of SB 100.
“We applaud this proactive approach because it ensures that even if federal protections are weakened, same-sex couples in Delaware will retain their rights under Delaware law,” the letter reads. “We believe that doing so NOW is crucial for several reasons, particularly in the context of evolving legal landscapes and the erosion of civil rights long recognized in Federal law.”
CAMP Rehoboth Board President Leslie Ledogar is scheduled to testify at the Wednesday hearing on behalf of CAMP Rehoboth. She hopes to convey how personal this bill is for the organization.
Ledogar said CAMP Rehoboth has an almost 35-year history of advocating on behalf of LGBTQ people in the state of Delaware. Past Board President Chris Beagle and his husband were among the first couples to be married in Sussex County after same-sex marriage was legalized in the state in 2013, with CAMP Rehoboth hosting the ceremony.
The letter cited concerns with the possibility of Obergefell v. Hodges being overturned in the future, the landmark 2015 Supreme Court case that guaranteed the right to marry for same-sex couples.
“We really feel that this is a proactive and protective measure that ensures long-term security for LGBTQ+ couples,” Ledogar said. “While we do have that [protection] now, it could be just that temporary and just that fleeting, and everything we’ve worked for and built could fall apart, not by our own initiative but because of the stroke of a pen.”
The letter details the positive impact that the bill would have on Delaware’s LGBTQ community, such as affirming equality and human dignity, preventing legal backsliding and creating legal certainty and reflecting public support.
“[SB 100] would align the law with the values of a majority of Delawareans, ensuring that legal frameworks reflect contemporary societal norms and standards,” Ledogar said.
In 2024, the Public Religion Research Institution found that 61% of Delawareans favor allowing same-sex couples to marry.
Some critics of the bill cite religious concerns, though SB 100 explicitly protects clergy refusal, saying that “the right to marry regardless of gender does not infringe upon the right to freedom of religion because religious organizations and members of the clergy have the right to refuse to solemnize a marriage.”
The bill requires a vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to pass. If passed, the next General Assembly after the next general election also has to pass it. Delaware is the only state in the country that can amend its state Constitution without a vote of the people. Constituents can register to watch the hearing virtually here.
Other states such as California, Colorado, and Hawaii have introduced and passed similar bills to protect the right of all people of all genders to marry under state law.
Huxtable said he hopes Delaware can send a message to other states that they can do the same thing and “don’t need to feel the threat from extremists.”
“I think it’s showing that the General Assembly in Delaware in particular are advocating for good policy celebrating the individual … We’re governing by our values and not our fears.”
Delaware
Delaware governor issues executive order creating LGBTQ+ Commission
Body to ‘strengthen ties’ between government and community
Delaware Gov. Bethany Hall-Long on Jan. 16 signed and issued an executive order creating a Delaware State LGBTQ+ Commission that she said will hold public forums for the exchange of ideas on the needs of the state’s diverse LGBTQ community.
“The nine-member commission will serve to strengthen ties between the government and LGBTQ+ organizations,” a statement released by the governor’s office says.
The statement adds that the new commission will “help remove barriers to societal participation for LGBTQ+ people and improve the delivery of services to the community in Delaware to areas such as employment, equality, education, and mental health.”
It says that members of the commission will be appointed by the governor and serve without monetary compensation for a three-year term.
According to the statement, the commission members “will represent different facets of the LGBTQ+ community, taking into account age, race, gender, identity, background, life experiences and other factors, and reflect the geographic diversity of the state.”
Hall-Long’s executive order creating the new commission came at a time when she is serving in effect as interim governor for a period of just two weeks. As lieutenant governor, she became governor on Jan. 7 when outgoing Gov. John Carney resigned to take office in his newly elected position of mayor of Wilmington.
Carney, who served two terms as governor, could not run again for that position under Delaware’s term limit law. Democrat Matt Myer won the governor’s election in November and will be sworn in as Delaware’s next governor on Jan. 21, when Hall-Long will step down.
Myer was expected to appoint the commission members in the weeks following his assumption of gubernatorial duties.
“Ultimately, the commission will advise the governor, members of the governor’s Cabinet, members of the General Assembly, and other policymakers on the effect of agency policies, procedures, practices, laws, and administrative rules on the unique challenges and needs of LGBTQ+ people,” the statement released by Hall-Long’s office says.
“It is truly an honor to bring this commission to fruition, and I am very excited to see the positive changes the commission will make in the lives of our LGBTQ+ neighbors,” Hall-Long said in the statement.
David Mariner, executive director of Sussex Pride, an LGBTQ advocacy group based in Delaware’s Sussex County, which includes Rehoboth Beach, praised the new executive order as an important step in advancing LGBTQ equality.
“It is my hope that through this commission, we can address the critical issues facing LGBTQ Delawareans,” Mariner said in his own statement.
“This includes developing an LGBTQ health report with a tangible roadmap to health equity, increasing collaboration and communication on hate crimes and hate-related activities, and ensuring that nondiscrimination protections, guaranteed by law, are a reality for all of our residents,” he said.
The statement announcing the LGBTQ+ Commission and the full text of the executive order can be accessed here.
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