REHOBOTH BEACH, DE - Some Rehoboth Beach residents have submitted a formal complaint to the Delaware Attorney General’s Office alleging possible FOIA violations in hiring their new City Manager.
Rehoboth Beach has been embroiled in controversy with the recent hiring of City Manager Taylour Tedder. Tedder's compensation package includes an annual salary of $250,000, $50,000 for move-in assistance, and a $750,000 housing loan that will be forgiven if Tedder stays in the position for seven years. That compensation, and Tedder’s qualifications, have been a heated subject among some residents of Rehoboth.
On May 31st, some residents took their concerns directly to Delaware’s Department of Justice, petitioning Attorney General Kathy Jennings’ Office to investigate allegations that the City violated Freedom of Information Act laws in Tedder’s hiring process.
According to petition documents obtained by WBOC, the petition claims Tedder’s compensation policy constitutes a near 600% increase over the previous City Manager’s salary and makes Teder the highest paid public official in Delaware. The policy, the complaint reads, was decided in a non-public forum when the decision should have been made with public input.
A second complaint in the petition claims other candidates for the job were not offered the same compensation package, citing the public job announcement released by the City.
The petition goes on to echo a complaint that Tedder did not meet the qualifications and requirements of the job as outlined in the City Charter. Finally, the letter sent to the Attorney General’s Office cites a previous FOIA violation by the City when they did not properly notify the public of the potential hiring of a new city solicitor in 2023. In that case, Jennings’ Office agreed that the City had indeed violated the public information laws.
On Wednesday, WBOC spoke with Rehoboth Beach resident Thomas Gaynor. Gaynor submitted the formal complaint to the AG's Office.
"What is going on here with the finances and the fiduciary duties that are owed to the people of Rehoboth is absolutely outrageous," says Gaynor. "Not only was he being paid more than 50 U.S. governors, but for a town of 1,400 people, to be paid with the exorbitant interest fee loan, while most people are in the face of inflationary pressures in their daily life, was absolutely unacceptable."
Rehoboth officials tell WBOC they have submitted their response to the complaint asking the Attorney General to advise there was no FOIA violations and dismiss the petition.
Resident David Geiszler doesn't think the attorney general should be involved.
"I think the city council has the right to hire and fire people and I think that's what they did," says Geiszler. "They hired somebody and I don't think they violated any part of the city charter."
In February, the Attorney General's Office determined the city violated FOIA when voting to hire City Solicitor, Alex Burns. Commissioners were then required to conduct a public vote for Burn's hire. It is not known if the same process will be required if the city is found guilty of violating FOIA laws when hiring Tedder.
