Dailey seeks fourth term as Sussex recorder of deeds

Republican Scott Dailey is seeking his fourth term as Sussex County Recorder of Deeds. He will face off with Alexandra Reed Baker in the Set. 13 Republic primary.

Dailey is currently serving in his third term, having been first elected in 2010.

The recorder of deeds is charged to preserve Sussex County’s land records. By keeping this office as an elected county position, the millions in annual revenue generated by the office is controlled by and spent in Sussex County.

In 2022, Dailey said, he submitted a budget to county council that was lower than the office’s previous budget. In 2021, the office processed an all-time record number of documents, more than 80,000, while increasing accuracy and reducing staffing levels in the office, he said.

“This savings allows Sussex County to reallocate more resources for paramedics, police, fire companies and open space,” he said.

In previous terms, Dailey has worked on bipartisan legislation to allow for electronic document recording, and worked to keep the office and its revenue intact. In 2010, state law did not permit documents to be submitted electronically. In 2021, more than 70% of all documents are submitted electronically. “This allows for faster, more accurate service, and it reduces tremendous paper waste,” he said.

In 2022, the office completed the electronic preservation of more than 200 years of property records. These records will be available for public review in a searchable database in late 2023.

Dailey has been a Lewes-based Realtor since 2003. He is the broker of Sunrise Real Estate and the owner of Aurora Homes, a small, family based semi-custom builder based in downtown Lewes. Sunrise Real Estate is a boutique brokerage firm that was founded in 2004.

He and his wife Deniene, who is co-owner of Sunrise Real Estate and Aurora Homes, have lived near Lewes for more than two decades. They have three grown children – all Cape Henlopen graduates. His daughter lives in Lincoln and is married with two children. One of his sons lives in Selbyville and the other in Oceanside, Calif.

He is a member of the Delaware State Sportsmen's Association, and has served as an elder and worship leader at New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Lewes.