# Delaware HB 376: AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF MILLVILLE. Delaware HB 376, AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF MILLVILLE., is a 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) House bill sponsored by Ronald E. Gray (Republican); status failed, last action 2026-09-16 (HS 1 for HB 376 - Signed by Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB376-153 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Delaware HB 376 - State: Delaware - Session: 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) - Title: AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF MILLVILLE. - Status: failed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-04-22 - Last action: 2026-09-16, HS 1 for HB 376 - Signed by Governor - Sponsor: Ronald E. Gray (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 31 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Adult residents can vote in Millville: benefit, low. Bona fide Millville residents who are at least 18 on election day receive one vote in the Annual Municipal Election. That election takes place on the first Saturday in March. - Town debts can be settled through service: benefit, low. Millville can let people settle Town debts by doing work or providing a service to the Town. Covered debts include taxes, fines, penalties, license charges, assessments, and fees. The Town does not have to offer this option, and people are not required to perform service. The law sets no amount of… - Town officials can receive pay: benefit, low. Millville can pay Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, and Board of Adjustment members. The Council must agree on compensation and set it by ordinance or resolution during the budget process. The Town can also repay duty-related expenses, including mileage for continuing education and off-site… - Local service groups can receive grants: benefit, low. The Council can fund qualifying volunteer fire, ambulance, and emergency treatment groups serving Millville. Total contributions to these emergency groups cannot exceed 6% of real estate taxes levied in a fiscal year. Millville can also give money to organizations providing community services. The… - Millville gains police and emergency powers: benefit, low. The Council can create a police department and set its size, but is not required to do so. Officers can enforce Town and Delaware laws throughout Millville, including annexed property, and pursue offenders beyond Town limits. The Mayor can act without prior Council approval only when a sudden emerg… - Millville health rules reach beyond town: benefit, low. Millville’s public health, infectious disease prevention, and nuisance prevention rules extend one mile beyond Town limits. These rules cover people and places in that area. The law does not name a new service or set a household payment. - Residents can find current Town rules: benefit, low. The replacement Charter takes effect on enactment and establishes a council–manager government. Millville keeps existing ordinances until changed or repealed, and confirms prior lawful Town actions unless the Charter provides otherwise. State-granted Town powers continue when they do not conflict w… - Residents can review annual Town audits: benefit, low. Millville must arrange an independent audit of all Town accounts each fiscal year and can audit more often. The fiscal year runs May 1 through April 30, unless changed by Council resolution. A Delaware-licensed CPA without a personal stake in Town finances must report within 120 days after year-end… - Town contracts generally require competing bids: benefit, low. Town contracts generally require advertised bids, selection of the lowest responsible bidder with a responsive bid, and Council approval. Purchases of $10,000 or less per fiscal year can bypass bidding. Purchases over $10,000 through $20,000 can use written quotes from at least three qualified sour… - Millville tax collections face a cap: benefit, low. Millville’s yearly property and utility-structure tax collections cannot exceed 3% of the assessed value of taxable real estate and improvements. Property taxes used to pay bond principal or interest are outside this cap. This is a Town-wide collection limit, not a limit on each owner’s tax bill. - Town damage claims require timely notice: cost, medium. People seeking damages from Millville for injury, death, or property damage must provide written notice within one year. This covers harm allegedly caused by the Town, its departments, or its personnel. The notice must describe the time, place, cause, nature, and extent of the harm. It must go to t… - Millville property tax liens last ten years: cost, medium. Town taxes and municipal charges create a lien on the property they are imposed against. The lien lasts 10 years from the levy date, and its priority follows Delaware law. For property held as a life estate, the life tenant’s interest is first liable for the tax. - Unpaid Town bills bring property liens: cost, medium. Millville can add listed water, sewer, trash, sidewalk, weed-cutting, and related debts to tax bills by annual resolution. The resolution must precede the assessment list’s posting; existing lawful Town debts remain due and collectible under the Charter. Listed unpaid service charges, fees, assessm… - Millville can tax property transfers: cost, medium. The Council can adopt an ordinance taxing transfers of Millville property or property interests. The tax can fall on the seller or buyer, even when settlement happens elsewhere. It cannot exceed 1.5% of the sale price, including assumed mortgages, or fair market value. Organizations exempt from rea… - Council candidates face filing and screening: cost, low. Council candidates must be at least 21 and meet the 90-day residency requirement before the election. They must file an application, certificate of intention, residency proof, Ethics Form, and background-check consent with the Town Manager or designee. Filing closes at the end of business on the fi… - Development and annexation can carry fees: cost, low. Millville can charge impact fees for new development, construction, or first occupancy of new construction. Improvement costs must be reasonably calculated and linked to the new construction. These fees can also support operating costs of volunteer fire and ambulance or paramedic companies serving… - Owners must complete ordered frontage work: cost, low. Millville can order owners to build, replace, or repair paving, graveling, curbs, sidewalks, or paths next to their property. The notice must describe the required work. Owners have 30 days to comply before the Town can do the work and bill them. A bill unpaid 60 days after presentation can be coll… - Millville can add lodging taxes: cost, low. Millville can tax hotel, motel, and tourist-home room stays within Town limits. The local tax cannot exceed 3% of room rent. It is added to Delaware’s lodging tax. The law does not require Millville to impose the tax or use the maximum rate. - Millville taxpayers get firm payment deadlines: cost, low. Town taxes are due 90 days after the fiscal year begins. Taxes still unpaid 90 days after that due date are delinquent. The Town Manager or designee must collect taxes in the year assessed and pursue delinquent taxes with applicable penalties and costs. The Manager receives specified County tax-col… - Property owners face assessment rules: cost, low. Millville uses Sussex County property values unless the Council makes its own assessments. The Council cannot hear appeals of County values used for Town taxes. New buildings omitted from annual assessments qualify for supplemental taxation after an occupancy certificate or use for their intended p… - Businesses can owe annual license fees: cost, low. Millville can require annual licenses, taxes, and fees for businesses, professions, and occupations carried on in Town. The Council sets the amounts. A Delaware resident needs no license to sell produce grown on their own farm. This exemption also covers a farm owned by a family member who lives wi… - Council members face conduct and removal rules: cost, low. Millville officials must follow Delaware’s Code of Conduct and the stated principles of ethical public service. Council members must sign the Town’s Code of Decorum affirmation each March when Council officers are elected. A felony conviction or three consecutive unexcused regular-meeting absences… - Eligibility limits for Millville council candidates: cost, low. Council candidates must be U.S. citizens and Millville residents for at least 90 days before the next Annual Municipal Election. They must be at least 21 by election day and current on Town taxes, utilities, and other debts. They must have no felony conviction and must not have been declared mental… - New rules for Millville annexation requests: cost, low. Property owners seeking annexation must include a concept plan when requesting zoning other than R-1 or R-2 Residential. A petition seeking a referendum on Council acceptance of an annexation petition needs signatures from more than 10% of eligible Millville voters. The referendum petition must be… - Utility owners face local infrastructure taxes: cost, low. Millville can assess and tax gas mains, pipelines, telephone and telegraph lines, power poles, rail lines, and related equipment. Specified lines and poles owned or operated by interstate railroad companies are exempt. The Town can remove taxable structures when an owner or lessee refuses or neglec… - Development assessments with limited owner liability: mixed, low. Millville can use tax increment financing and special development districts under Delaware law. Property buyers are responsible only for obligations set by their property’s individual assessment, not the full bond debt. The bonds are payable only from permitted assessments, and the Town is not resp… - Owners can appeal street damage payments: mixed, low. An owner can challenge compensation or damages from a Town street action by giving written notice within 20 calendar days of assessment notice. The owner must request a review commission within 15 calendar days after serving that appeal notice. Five Millville resident property owners assess the dam… - Town utilities offer services and obligations: mixed, low. Millville can operate water, sewer, electric, and gas systems, including buying and reselling these services. The Town sets and collects user charges but the Charter sets no actual rates. Millville can provide or refuse service outside Town limits. For public health, it can require properties withi… - Residents get input on street changes: mixed, low. The Council can open, widen, change, vacate, or abandon Town streets when it finds this serves the Town’s interests. Its authority operates alongside the Delaware Superior Court’s authority over public roads and rights-of-way. Proposed actions must be presented at a Council meeting with an opportun… - Town borrowing funds projects with limits: mixed, low. Millville can borrow for municipal facilities, utilities, infrastructure, property, and permanent improvements, using its credit or other security. Total Town debt cannot exceed 25% of assessed real property value; the bond limit uses the last assessment before debt creation. The bond process requi… - Town revenue borrowing has dollar limits: mixed, low. A Council majority can authorize borrowing against expected revenues when Town needs require it. Borrowing is capped at $500,000 per year and $500,000 outstanding at any time. Council-authorized notes must be repaid from the general fund, with interest, by the end of the 20th fiscal year after the… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Ronald E. Gray (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Gerald W. Hocker (Republican), Senate ## Actions (8) - 2026-09-16: HS 1 for HB 376 - Signed by Governor (Governor) - 2026-07-01: HS 1 for HB 376 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT (Senate) - 2026-06-18: HS 1 for HB 376 - Reported Out of Committee (Elections & Government Affairs) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits (Senate) - 2026-06-09: HS 1 for HB 376 - Assigned to Elections & Government Affairs Committee in Senate (Senate) - 2026-06-09: HS 1 for HB 376 - Passed By House. Votes: 35 YES 1 NO 5 ABSENT (House) - 2026-06-04: Substituted in House by HS 1 for HB 376 (House) - 2026-05-13: Reported Out of Committee (Administration) in House with 5 On Its Merits (House) - 2026-04-22: Introduced and Assigned to Administration Committee in House (House) ## Bill text - Current, 2026-04-22: [HTML](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=143148&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2) ## Related bills - HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITIONIST LICENSURE ACT. (passed house) - HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO SUPPORT POOR PERSONS. (signed) - SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS. (vetoed) - SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS. (vetoed) - HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLIC UTILITY CONSUMERS. (vetoed) - HB 84: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EMPLOYER-SPONSORED MEETINGS OR COMMUNICATIONS. (failed) ## Sources - [Current (HTML)](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=143148&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2) ## Related - [HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HS1FORHB449-153) - [HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB357-153) - [SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB231-153) - [SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB279-153) - [HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB393-153) - [HB 84: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EMPLOYER-SPONSORED ME…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB84-153) - [Delaware bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware/bills) - [Delaware state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB376-153 (as of 2026-10-12).