# Delaware SB 306: AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF REHOBOTH BEACH. Delaware SB 306, AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF REHOBOTH BEACH., is a 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) Senate bill sponsored by Russell Huxtable (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-08-17 (Signed by Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB306-153 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Delaware SB 306 - State: Delaware - Session: 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) - Title: AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF REHOBOTH BEACH. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-05-06 - Last action: 2026-08-17, Signed by Governor - Sponsor: Russell Huxtable (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 3 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (80 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 14 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More leaseholders qualify for water service: benefit, low. Leaseholders qualify as City water or sewer users with a valid Sussex County-recorded lease lasting at least 10 years. They must have built an improvement on the leased land. That improvement no longer needs an assessed value of at least $1,000. The law does not specify lower service charges. - Quarterly assessments cannot charge past taxes: benefit, low. The City prepares and certifies supplemental assessment lists each quarter based on its fiscal year. This replaces the fixed July 1, October 1, January 1, and April 1 certification dates. The City Manager can direct the assessor to prepare these lists under the charter's assessment rules. The City… - City employee pay restrictions are removed: benefit, low. The law removes charter rules requiring Commissioners to set City officers', employees', and agents' pay by ordinance. It also removes restrictions on pay increases during a designated term. The ban on compensation above amounts fixed by Commissioners is removed. The law does not set new pay amount… - City's annual personal tax authority ends: benefit, low. The City can no longer levy the personal tax on people otherwise qualified to vote in its annual election. The repealed tax authority allowed a charge of up to $1 per person each year. The law does not establish whether any particular person previously paid this tax. - City can license local railroad services: benefit, low. The City can grant nonexclusive franchises or licenses for railroad services to use public places. This authority applies only to railroads that do not engage in interstate commerce. The law does not create a specific railroad service or household charge. - Commissioner raises delayed; travel allowance ends: cost, low. Commissioners' annual salaries must be set by ordinance. Raises cannot start before both six months have passed and terms begin for Commissioners elected at the next regular election. Nonresident Commissioners lose the charter's mileage allowance for travel from their permanent homes to City or com… - Mayor's charter money safeguards are removed: cost, low. The law removes the Mayor's charter duty to turn over City records and money when leaving office. It also removes the duty to report and pay over fines and other City money each month. The charter's misdemeanor penalties for failing to meet these duties are removed. - Stricter eligibility checks for city commissioners: cost, low. Commissioner candidates cannot be a serving commissioner's spouse, domestic partner, or cohabitant, or share a financial interest with one. Election candidates must file a sworn eligibility affidavit with their nominating petition before appearing on the ballot. People seeking appointment to a vaca… - Higher ordinance fines, no charter jail: mixed, medium. The maximum fine for violating a City ordinance rises from $500 to $2,500. The actual fine depends on the violation and the applicable ordinance. The law also removes authority under this charter provision to punish violations with jail or required work. - New cap on city property taxes: mixed, medium. Rehoboth Beach replaces its $3 million limit on total municipal real estate taxes with a value-based cap. The City cannot raise more than 0.1% of the fully assessed value of all real estate, excluding City-owned property. This limits the total tax collected, not each owner's bill. The effect on ind… - Regular reassessments for city property owners: mixed, medium. Beginning in 2030, properties covered by the City's assessment process must be reassessed at fair market value. After that, each property must be reassessed at least once every five years. Each five-year period starts when assessments are finalized. Updated values can raise or lower an owner's tax… - Property assessment choices and appeal rights: mixed, low. The City can use Sussex County assessments, received by the first Monday in March, with appeals under state county-assessment rules. Otherwise, a Delaware-qualified City assessor must complete annual assessments before the first Monday in March. Leaseholders are assessed for improvements under vali… - Mayor loses court powers, gains marriages: mixed, low. The Mayor no longer has the City's former Justice of the Peace powers. Those powers covered offenses, fines, penalties, and certain civil cases, including some tax and municipal cost collection cases. The Mayor can now perform marriages within Rehoboth Beach. The law does not state a marriage fee. - Property-based voting paths and one-vote limit: mixed, low. Registered voters age 18 or older get one vote, even when they qualify through several paths. They must be freeholders for at least 30 days, leaseholders for at least six months, or bona fide Delaware and City residents on election day. The law recognizes property held as tenants by the entirety fo… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Russell Huxtable (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Alonna Berry (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Frank Burns (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Claire Snyder-Hall (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-06-30 | Senate | Passed (2/3 required) | pass | 21 | 0 | | | 2026-06-24 | House | Passed (2/3 required) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-05-21 | Senate | Passed (2/3 required) | pass | 19 | 0 | | ## Actions (10) - 2026-08-17: Signed by Governor (Governor) - 2026-06-30: Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES (Senate) - 2026-06-24: Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 ABSENT (House) - 2026-06-24: Amendment HA 1 to SB 306 - Passed In House by Voice Vote (House) - 2026-06-23: Amendment HA 1 to SB 306 - Introduced and Placed With Bill (Senate) - 2026-06-17: Reported Out of Committee (Administration) in House with 3 On Its Merits, 1 Unfavorable (House) - 2026-06-04: Assigned to Administration Committee in House (House) - 2026-05-21: Passed By Senate. Votes: 19 YES 2 ABSENT (Senate) - 2026-05-13: Reported Out of Committee (Elections & Government Affairs) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits (Senate) - 2026-05-06: Introduced and Assigned to Elections & Government Affairs Committee in Senate (Senate) ## Bill text - Current, 2026-05-06: [HTML](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=143231&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) - HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLIC UTILITY CONSUMERS. (vetoed) - SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS. (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=143231&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) - [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) - [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 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-SB306-153 (as of 2026-10-12).