DELMAR, Md.-Â The ballots are counted and new leadership will take over in Delmar, Maryland.
Benjamin Jorden defeated incumbent Karen Wells 126 to 76. In the commissioners race, Jacob Boothe and Corey Schaffer took the two open seats with 143 and 137 votes respectively.
The winners were on the same ticket and now hit the ground running with a top priority being to get more officers for the Delmar Police Department. Jorden says he has already had conversations with Chief Ivan Barkley.
"The main thing is that we get recruitment done," Jorden said. "And that's what I plan on working very hard on with him. We've already had many conversations about getting new officers or transferred officers in here because that's what's going to allow it to where our guys don't have to be alone in the streets."
Pam Price has been an advocate for a salary raise for police officers. A three-year deal was negotiated back in October. She says that was a victory for Wells and the current commission before the new leaders come in but still questions the timing.
"We fought to have the Senate Bill 181. We had petitions signed," Price said. "So if it was so easy for the town to do that, why did I spend my last six months fighting it?"
New commissioner Jacob Boothe says another focus has to be improving insurance for town employees which would also help on the police front.
"It's a good thing," Boothe said. "It covers the deductibles but the problem with it is if you have any type of surgery, that's gone. We wipe that out. So we're going to try and build on that. We've kind of already started the process of finding some contacts."
WRDE reached out to the outgoing mayor but did not get a response.
Both Jorden and Boothe are excited to work with the Delmar, Delaware leadership to make the town is the best it can be.
The main goal of the new leaders is to bring the town together when they are sworn in early next month.