Saunders nominated for vacant Rehoboth commissioner seat

Rehoboth Beach Mayor Stan Mills has nominated Mark Saunders, a property owner and board of adjustment member, to fill the seat recently left vacant by the unexpected resignation of Commissioner Don Preston.

Preston, who took office in September 2023, told Mills he was stepping down Nov. 20. Mills is expected to make his official nomination during a special meeting Monday, Dec. 9.

Mills said he’s nominating Saunders because he is a strong choice to represent the Rehoboth Beach community as a commissioner. 

“I’m confident that as a commissioner, Mark will serve our community well, with integrity and a commitment to collaborative decision-making,” said Mills in a Dec. 4 statement.

Saunders was one of four candidates this past summer for two vacant commissioner seats. Ultimately, he finished third behind Craig Thier and Suzanne Goode, who were sworn in as commissioners in September.

Saunders has been a property owner since 2005 and a full-time resident since 2013. He’s been a board of adjustment member since 2022 and also served on the Rehoboth Beach Homeowners’ Association board, including terms as president and vice president.

Saunders said it’s an honor and exciting.

Recognizing his appointment still takes a favorable vote from the other commissioners, Saunders said nothing is for sure at this point, but he’s looking forward to the opportunity. He said there’s a lot going on in the city this time of year and hopefully he can add to that discussion.

The term for the vacant commissioner seat expires in September 2026.

As for filling Saunders’ board of adjustment seat if his nomination is approved, Lynne Coan, city spokesperson, said the city will cross that bridge when needed.

Following the election this summer, city commissioners voted unanimously in favor of reappointing Saunders to the board of adjustment for a two-year term. That term also expires in September 2026.

City solicitor vacancy

The city is also looking to fill the position of city solicitor.

The city has been without a solicitor since the end of October, when Baird Mandalas Brockstedt & Federico, a law firm that had represented the city since 2006, said it was no longer going to. Wilmington-based law firm Connolly Gallagher has been temporarily filling the role since early November.

The city issued a request for qualifications for in-house and contract work to see which comes back with the best opportunity for the city. The deadline for firms to submit their qualifications to the city was Dec. 2. 

City Manager Taylour Tedder said the city received one submission to the RFQ and one application for in-house counsel. The RFQ submission is from attorney Gregory Morris of Dover-based law firm Liguori and Morris LLC. That firm serves Bethany Beach, Dagsboro, and a few other areas, he said.

Tedder has recommended a special meeting be scheduled later this month to interview Morris and to extend the RFQ submission process one month.

Tedder did not provide the name of the in-house counsel applicant and, according to the agenda packet, is not recommending consideration at this time.

The city is hoping to fill the solicitor position by the end of February.