Sports
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Selbyville’s Mumford wins state title
Gallery One unveils its March show
Local professionals offer advice
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FEBRUARY 28, 2025
THE LOCAL VOICE OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
Volume 22, Issue 9
FREE
No public pushback on proposed OV budget By Susan Canfora Staff Reporter There were no public comments at the Ocean View Town Council’s workshop to discuss the proposed 2026-fiscal-year budget on Tuesday, Feb. 25, and Mayor John Reddington said he hadn’t previously gotten any comments, even though a 2-cent tax increase is pro-
posed. Councilman Stephen Cobb said he did receive a comment, and it was glowing — that town officials are good stewards of taxpayers’ money. At the Tuesday, Feb. 11, council meeting, Town Manager Carol Houck had explained that the proposed tax increase — following three years with no tax hike — would bring the Town’s
property tax rate to $0.2578 per $100 of assessed value. At the budget workshop this week, she said the increase would mean homeowners would pay an additional $54 to $126 in taxes per year, depending on the value of the property. The Town’s proposed Operating Budget is $6.4 million, and the Town’s Capital Program is proposed at $1.6 million.
The budget will officially be introduced at the Tuesday, March 11, town council meeting, and it will be on the agenda for second reading of the ordinance to approve it, and for further public comment, at the Tuesday, April 8, council meeting. Ocean View is required to pass its budget each year by See BUDGET page 5
Selbyville candidates get the last word By Susan Canfora Staff Reporter Three candidates — incumbent Councilmen Gary Steffen and Chris Snader, and challenger Tim Grote — are running for two seats on the Selbyville Town Council. The election will be on Saturday, March 1, and the two successful candidates, as well as Mayor Rick Duncan — who is running unopposed for a second twoyear term — will be sworn in at the Monday, April 7, town council meeting. Steffen was previously the Town’s Code Enforcement Constable and a police chief in Pennsylvania for 28 years. Snader owns CSCS LLC, a construction business, and Beach Electrical Services. Grote has lived in Selbyville for 25 years and is a semiretired home inspector for U.S. Inspect. The Coastal Point asked the candidates to answer three questions. Special to the Coastal Point • Marian Dowling
See ELECTION page 4
Our roving photographer friend caught this great image at the Harbor of Refuge.
Millville officials to study possibility of voting districts By Kerin Magill Staff Reporter The Millville Town Council agreed this week to budget funds to study the creation of voting districts in the town. The move came during a discussion at the Tuesday, Feb. 25, council meeting,
regarding items council members would like to see placed in the Town’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Council Member Robert Wisgirda had first broached the subject of voting districts at the council’s Oct. 10, 2024, meeting. “I did some research,” Wisgirda said
this week, adding that he had concluded that several surrounding communities “have gone ahead and hired the University of Delaware and have been very happy with their research.” The cost to the Town, Wisgirda said, would be $7,000. Reiterating the concerns he raised in the call with UD, he
said, “Many of the residents don’t feel represented” by the current at-large system of voting for council members. Currently, all five council members live in one of two developments. Wisgirda, Deputy Mayor Sharon Brienza See MILLVILLE page 3