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SB39 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF SELBYVILLE RELATING TO ELECTIONS.

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF SELBYVILLE RELATING TO ELECTIONS.

Elections
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Hocker
Last action
2025-06-24
Official status
Signed 6/24/25
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF SELBYVILLE RELATING TO ELECTIONS.

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF SELBYVILLE RELATING TO ELECTIONS.

What This Bill Does

  • AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF SELBYVILLE RELATING TO ELECTIONS.
  • This Act amends the Charter of the Town of Selbyville (Selbyville) by doing all of the following: 1.
  • Divides Selbyville into 4 election districts.
  • The 4 election districts must be nearly equal in population based on the most recent federal decennial census.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-24 Delaware General Assembly

    Signed by Governor

  2. 2025-06-17 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 ABSENT

  3. 2025-06-11 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Administration) in House with 5 On Its Merits

  4. 2025-05-07 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Administration Committee in House

  5. 2025-05-06 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT

  6. 2025-04-17 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Elections & Government Affairs) in Senate with 2 Favorable, 4 On Its Merits

  7. 2025-01-10 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Elections & Government Affairs Committee in Senate

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF SELBYVILLE RELATING TO ELECTIONS.
This Act amends the Charter of the Town of Selbyville (Selbyville) by doing all of the following:
1. Divides Selbyville into 4 election districts. The 4 election districts must be nearly equal in population based on the most recent federal decennial census.
2. Changes the composition of the Town Council so that the 4 members are comprised of 1 member from each district. Each member must be nominated and elected by the registered voters of the district in which the member resides.
3. Requires that a candidate for Mayor or the Town Council be a resident of Selbyville for at least 2 years.
4. Makes corresponding revisions to the staggered terms served by members of the Town Council.

This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article IX of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend a charter issued to a municipal corporation.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Sen. Hocker & Rep. Collins

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE BILL NO. 39

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF SELBYVILLE RELATING TO ELECTIONS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE (Two-thirds of all members elected to each house thereof concurring therein):

Section 1. Amend Section 3 of the Charter of the Town of Selbyville by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline and redesignating as follows:

Section 3. Structure of Government

.

The government of the Town and the exercise of all powers conferred by this Charter, except as otherwise provided herein, shall be vested in a Mayor and Town Council.

3.1 Election Districts. The Town Council shall divide the Town into 4 districts, The initial districts must be established no later than January 1, 2026. Thereafter, the Town Council shall adjust the district boundaries to comply with the requirements under this section no later than the first day of January of the second year following the federal decennial census.

3.1.1 Each district must be formed of contiguous territory.

3.1.2 To the extent possible and practicable, each district must be nearly equal in population based on the most recent federal decennial census information.

3.1.3 Upon enactment, the new districts and boundaries supersede previous district boundaries for all purposes of the next Annual Municipal Election, including nominations. The new districts and boundaries supersede previous districts and boundaries for all other purposes on the date of the Annual Meeting when the members of the Town Council elected at the Annual Municipal Election take office.

3.1

3.1.4

The Town Council

shall be composed of

four (4) members.

consists of 1 member from each of the 4 districts. Each Town Council member shall be nominated and elected by the registered voters from the district

in which the member resides.

3.2 The Mayor

and each member of the Town Council

shall be nominated and elected

from

by the registered voters of

the Town at

lare.

large

.

3.4 Qualifications. The qualifications for the Mayor and

for

each member of the Town Council at the time of the election

shall be

are

as follows:

3.4.1 The Mayor and each member

shall

of the Town Council must

be at least

twenty-one (21)

21

years of age.

3.4.2 The Mayor and each member

shall

of the Town Council must

be a citizen of the United States

and of the State of Delaware

and a bona fide resident of

The

the

Town of

Selbyville.

Selbyville for at least 2 years. Each candidate for Town Council must also be a resident of the district from which the candidate seeks election.

Section 2. Amend Section 6 of the Charter of the Town of Selbyville by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

Section 6. Elections.

6.2 Manner of Holding Annual Municipal Election. The procedure for holding the Annual Municipal Election

shall be

is

as follows:

6.2.1 The Annual Municipal Election shall be held at a time and place designated by the Mayor and

Town

Council within the corporate limits of the Town of Selbyville on the first Saturday in March of each

and every year, the first said Annual Municipal Election to be held pursuant to this Charter to be held on the first Saturday in March, A.D. 2001. Due

year. The Town Council shall provide

notice of

said

the Annual Municipal

election

shall be given

by posting

notices thereof in five (5)

notice of the election in 5

public places within the corporate limits of the Town of Selbyville not less than

ten (10)

10

days before the day of

such

the

Annual Municipal Election, and by publishing at least

one (1)

1

notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town at least

ten (10)

10

days before the day of

such

the

Annual

Municipal

Election.

6.2.2

At the Annual Municipal Election to be held on the first Saturday in March, A.D. 2001, the Mayor and two (2) members of the Town Council shall be elected. The Mayor and each of the Councilmen so elected shall serve for a period of two (2) years or until his successor has been duly elected and qualified.

The elections for the Mayor and members of the Town Council from the first and third districts shall be held at the Annual Municipal Election in odd-numbered years.

6.2.3

At the Annual Municipal Election to be held on the first Saturday in March, A.D. 2002, two (2) members of the Town Council shall be elected. Each of the Council members who are elected shall serve for a term of two (2) years, or until his/her successor has been duly elected and qualified.

The elections for members of the Town Council from the second and fourth districts shall be held at the Annual Municipal Election in even-numbered years.

6.2.4

Thereafter, at each Annual Municipal Election, there shall be elected two (2) Councilmen who shall serve for a term of two (2) years or until their successors have been duly elected and qualified, except at the Annual Municipal Election in the year in which the Mayor is to be elected, at which time there will be elected a Mayor and two (2) Town Councilmen.

The Mayor and members of the Town Council are elected for a term of 2 years, effective with the Annual Meeting under Section 7.1 of this charter.

SYNOPSIS

This Act amends the Charter of the Town of Selbyville (Selbyville) by doing all of the following:

1. Divides Selbyville into 4 election districts. The 4 election districts must be nearly equal in population based on the most recent federal decennial census.

2. Changes the composition of the Town Council so that the 4 members are comprised of 1 member from each district. Each member must be nominated and elected by the registered voters of the district in which the member resides.

3. Requires that a candidate for Mayor or the Town Council be a resident of Selbyville for at least 2 years.

4. Makes corresponding revisions to the staggered terms served by members of the Town Council.

This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article IX of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend a charter issued to a municipal corporation.

Author: Senator Hocker