Letter: Some Rehoboth commissioners undermine workforce

At this month’s meeting of the mayor and commissioners of Rehoboth Beach, newly elected commissioners Dick Byrne and Pat Coluzzi were sworn in. Congratulations! Who would have guessed that their first meeting would end in such controversy, over a committee appointment?

Here’s what happened: When the mayor began to announce his appointments to city committees, Commissioner McGuiness interrupted him to insist that he go through each committee, one-by-one. He did, and when the mayor got to his appointments to the personnel committee, McGuiness interrupted, again, with a surprising motion - disregarding the mayor’s appointment and moving to install Commissioner Schlosser as the chair.

Schlosser immediately seconded that motion, on cue. Kathy and Lisa executed an organized ambush on the duly-elected Mayor Paul Kuhns. Weren’t they the commissioners who were outraged, exactly one year ago, when Mayor Kuhns was unsuccessful in appointing Pat Coluzzi to the commission? Wasn’t their argument that the mayor was entitled to his choice?

Mayor Kuhns retorted that Schlosser chose to resign from the personnel committee last week, after a year of service, so he was moving on to another commissioner willing and able to chair. The audience gasped! Why did Schlosser suddenly resign?

At this point, Commissioner Schlosser suggested they go into executive session. Why? So she would not have to explain herself publicly? I am very concerned that McGuiness and Schlosser have an undisclosed agenda, perhaps to terminate the city manager (as reported this summer by Peter Rosenstein in the Washington Blade), and moreover, to undermine the city staff in order to outsource city services to profiteering corporations. City commissioners should be supporting the city manager and staff, or else publicly explaining their concerns.

When the mayor did not agree to an executive session, Commissioner Schlosser announced that she has changed her mind (again) and now wants the personnel committee back. As if that is her decision, and not the mayor’s prerogative.

A debate about parliamentary procedure followed, with McGuiness and Schlosser demanding a series of rulings from the city solicitor, who put down (for now) their attempts to take over the mayor’s traditional roles and responsibilities. It was a wild first night for Dick Byrne, who announced, “I’m totally confused.”

At the end of the fight, the City of Rehoboth was the biggest loser. Commissioners McGuiness, Schlosser, Coluzzi and Byrne united against the mayor and voted down his slate, leaving the personnel committee empty. What a shame, at this critical time, with so many important vacancies among the city staff and a consultant’s report showing that the city’s compensation and benefits are totally uncompetitive. Instead of getting down to the people’s business, some commissioners are playing games with the city workforce, threatening job security, and undermining the mayor to advance their personal ambitions. Go to the City of Rehoboth’s website to hear the meeting for yourself.

I urge everyone who cares about the city staff - among our most valuable resources - to send an email to the mayor and commissioners demanding an explanation of what is happening with the personnel committee, and asking Commissioners McGuiness and Schlosser to publicly disclose their hidden agenda. Transparency demands disclosure. Their effort to govern by ambush contradicts the transparency they campaigned on.

Gary Glass
Rehoboth Beach