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Coastal Point — December 12, 2025

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Sports

Fun

Season

Indians start out hardwood season

Charity comes alive at The Circle

Towns getting into the spirit

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DECEMBER 12, 2025

THE LOCAL VOICE OF YOUR COMMUNITY.

Volume 22, Issue 50

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Fenwick Island responds to ACLU lawsuit By Kerin Magill Staff Reporter Responding to a lawsuit filed last week against the Town of Fenwick Island by the American Civil Liberties Union, Mayor Natalie Magdeburger defended the Town’s longstanding practice of allowing artificial entities to vote in town elections. “We do allow ‘artificial entities’ to vote,” Magdeburger said in a statement

read at the Town Council meeting on Friday, Dec. 5. “Our Charter speaks to the limitations imposed on artificial entities and the ability to cast a vote,” the mayor said. The lawsuit, filed Thursday, Dec. 4, in Delaware Superior Court, alleges that the practice of allowing artificial entities, including corporations, partnerships, trusts, and limited liability companies to vote in municipal elections, “risks the dilution of votes cast by

natural persons. “The bedrock principle of American elections is one person, one vote,” the lawsuit reads. In defending the Town’s long-held practice, Magdeburger said “a great number of the artificial entities that vote in Fenwick Island elections are family trusts that are either done for estate planning purposes or as a result of estates being administered and are generally associated with residential homes.

There are also artificial entities that own business properties. “Our belief is that everyone who pays taxes and is subject to our ordinances should have a vote to determine who is on Town Council representing them, including our business property owners. “Magdeburger continued. “We also have in place the one person/one entity, one vote principle, See LAWSUIT page 3

Millsboro makes it official by naming Moyer police chief By Laura Walter Staff Reporter After a candidate search to lead the Millsboro Police Department, the new police chief will be one of their own. This week, the Town announced that Lt. David Moyer will officially become the new chief of police. Moyer “Moyer brings more than 17 years of distinguished law enforcement experience to the department, along with a proven record of leadership, community partnership and professional excellence,” the Town announced. After the Dec. 9 announcement, Moyer shared his perspective with the

Coastal Point • Susan Lyons

No, this isn’t how ice cream is made — just a Highland braving our small snowfall last Friday at Parsons Farm Produce. See MOYER page 4

Millville adjusting tax rates to be ‘revenue neutral’ By Kerin Magill Staff Reporter Millville’s Town Council voted this week to change its property tax rate in the wake of state-mandated property reassessments. The move was made to keep tax revenues for the town revenue

neutral, meaning the town will not see a substantial increase or decrease in property tax revenues due to the reassessments. By changing the mill rate to .000645, Town Finance Administrator Will Mumford said, the town’s tax revenue will remain neutral. As an example, for a

property valued at $100,000, the tax bill would be $64.50. He told the Town Council on Tuesday, Dec. 9 that if the town had kept its current rate, its total tax revenues would jump from about $832,000 to more than $5 million. “So we obviously have to reduce this

down,” to remain revenue neutral, Mumford said. Mumford said there are currently 3,251 residential and commercial lots in the town. Code and Building Official Eric Evans said the town expects to add See MILLVILLE page 3


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