The ongoing dysfunction among the City of Rehoboth Beach commissioners has reached a point where it can no longer be dismissed as routine disagreement. In fact, it has become a source of embarrassment.
Commissioner Susan Stewart’s public encouragement for residents and media to file Freedom of Information Act requests targeting Commissioner Suzanne Goode’s emails has only deepened the divide. While transparency in government is essential, using FOIA as a weapon crosses a line. It transforms governance into a spectacle.
What those emails revealed is not entirely surprising. Goode can be abrasive. She is persistent – sometimes to a fault – and there are instances where her tone and language clearly go too far. That behavior deserves criticism, and Goode would be wise to reflect on how her communication style impacts both colleagues and city staff.
But the broader issue is not one commissioner. It is a culture. Encouraging a public airing of internal disputes does nothing to strengthen trust in local government.
Respect and decorum are not optional in public office; they are foundational. Goode must tone down her rhetoric and engage more constructively. At the same time, Stewart and her fellow commissioners must remember that Goode was elected by the public and deserves to be treated as an equal at the table, regardless of disagreements.
Healthy debate is a cornerstone of effective governance. But there is a difference between disagreement and dysfunction. Right now, Rehoboth Beach’s commissioners are too often choosing the latter.
The path forward is not complicated. It requires mutual respect, professionalism and a shared commitment to the city’s well-being. More can be accomplished through collaboration than through conflict.
The childish behavior needs to end. The residents of Rehoboth Beach deserve better.
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Editorials are considered and written by Cape Gazette Editorial Board members, including Publisher Chris Rausch, Editor Jen Ellingsworth, News Editor Nick Roth and reporter Chris Flood.
