This article was updated with quotes from Mayor Amy Marasco.
LEWES, Del. — Multiple sources within Lewes City Hall tell CoastTV that a group referring to themselves as Lewes City Staff are calling for city manager Ellen Lorraine McCabe and deputy city manager Janet Reeves to resign or be removed, citing what employees describe as a hostile workplace, declining morale and a lack of trust in city leadership.
The letter comes during the same week that it was revealed an independent investigation cleared Lewes Deputy Mayor Khalil Saliba of unlawful harassment allegations.
The allegations are detailed in an anonymous Sept. 16 letter addressed to the mayor and members of the Lewes City Council. The letter says it represents a collaborative effort involving managers and support staff, although no employees signed their names because they said they fear retaliation.
The employees allege concerns about intimidation, hostility, favoritism, retaliation and inconsistent management practices. They also claim concerns raised internally through management and human resources were ignored, dismissed or discouraged.
“We have no confidence in the current leadership of City Management,” the letter states.
The employees are asking the city to seek temporary leadership while the council searches for permanent replacements for the city manager and deputy city manager. They said additional training, mediation, counseling or other management changes would not address their concerns.
The letter also references multiple complaints involving city government and alleges those findings have further damaged employee confidence in management and elected leadership. The letter characterizes some conduct in strongly critical terms, but those allegations are the employees' claims and were not independently verified for this story.
The letter warns that without a leadership change, Lewes could continue to experience employee turnover and difficulty hiring new staff. The writers said many current employees are already looking for other jobs.
The letter asks the City Council to protect employees who participate in authorized investigations and to ensure accountability applies throughout city government.
Mayor Amy Marasco said the city takes the personnel issues involving Deputy City Manager Janet Reeves and City Manager Ellen Lorraine McCabe seriously.
“Council takes personnel issues seriously and respects their confidentiality as well. We are still reviewing documents and will continue our deliberations,” Marasco said.
CoastTV also reached out to McCabe and Reeves for comment but had not heard back as of publication.
