DELAWARE

Despite split over vacancy, Rehoboth officials hope to work together

The Daily Times

Paul Kuhns, who was sworn in Friday, Sept. 15 as Rehoboth Beach's new mayor, speaks to the crowd.

Rehoboth Beach only has six members serving on its seven-member Board of Commissioners.

All that was needed was a decision by a simple majority vote to select the replacement for Rehoboth Beach Mayor Paul Kuhns' vacant spot on the board at the Sept. 15 commissioners meeting.

But the board did not agree on someone to appoint, meaning the seven-member board will function with six until a replacement is agreed on.

BACKGROUND: Rehoboth commissioners split on replacement to fill new mayor's former seat

BACKGROUND: New Rehoboth Mayor Paul Kuhns takes pro-business line

Until such time, because there is no way for there to be a majority vote, any time there is a tied vote, the motion is effectively defeated.

Calls for unity were heard from some members of the commission, with some feeling the decision not to confirm Pat Coluzzi, Kuhns' selection to fill the vacant spot on the board, was a slight to the new mayor.

“Our obligation is to listen to our electorate and our voters who voted for change and discontinue the divisiveness,” said Commissioner Lisa Schlosser at the meeting. “Rise above the divisiveness and party lines and support our new mayor.”

Schlosser, who was sworn in at the meeting, said it was not the will of the people to have Susan Gay, three of the commissioners' choice to fill Kuhns' vacant spot, be their commissioner because of Gay's election loss in August.

Both Gay's and Coluzzi's appointments failed. The vote for both was 3-3, with Kuhns, Schlosser and Kathy McGuiness voting for Coluzzi and against Gay, and Stan Mills, Toni Sharp and Patrick Gossett voting against Coluzzi and for Gay.

Mills said he isn't worried about the current six-member board working together on projects in the future.

At the meeting, Mills voiced his displeasure with the process of filling Kuhns' seat, but acknowledged the board has no other way to proceed as the process is in the city’s charter.

He selected Gay to fill Kuhns' spot because he believed she met the criteria for an elected official.

Commissioner Stan Mills speaks during The City of Rehoboth Beach Commissioner meeting on Friday, March 17, 2017 at the Rehoboth Volunteer Fire Company.

"I don’t see any problem," Mills said in a later interview. "I am hopeful the mayor will continue his search for a new nominee that will be acceptable for all of us."

For the vacant spot, Mills said he hopes Kuhns appoints someone who can work with the entire board and on an "even keel."

Kuhns said he selected Coluzzi because of her six years of experience serving on the Board of Commissioners in the past.

One of the reasons he feels Coluzzi stepped aside was the divisiveness on the board previously.

Pat Coluzzi, manager at the Rehoboth Beach Farmers Market, checks out soaps at the Booda Soap Box tent.

“Pat is a very reasonable person,” Kuhns said at the meeting. “We need to get over this divisiveness, and Susan Gay will continue that. Our job is to bring the community together.”

Kuhns said he searched high and low through the community for someone to fill the spot.

“I spoke with a number of different people for recommendations and took those into account,” he said. “I look at qualifications and time in Rehoboth, being involved in the community, having a vision and foresight for the future, and only one person stood out, and that was Pat Coluzzi. I wholeheartedly recommend her.”

Now that some time has passed since the meeting, Kuhns said he does have some concerns. However, he said he is hopeful the board will be able to work together in the future.

He did say he was very disappointed Coluzzi was not selected because of her experience serving the city, from working as a commissioner to running the farmers market, and Kuhns said he doubts the three who voted against Coluzzi will be able to come up with another acceptable candidate.

But until a replacement is found, Kuhns said the board will have to make do with six members.

"We might be at a stalemate, and we might have to function as a commission with six," he said. "It's not my favorite thing to do, but there is city business we need to accomplish. It's my obligation to my constituents to move forward and function properly."

On Twitter @hughesg19