REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - A July 18 meeting at Rehoboth Beach City Hall, meant to address civility and protocol among city officials, instead highlighted claims of unprofessional behavior by some officials toward Commissioner Suzanne Goode. Goode said the exchange prompted multiple phone calls to City Manager Taylour Tedder.
During the session, former Commissioner Edward Chrzanowski said Goode was "disrespectful and consistently unprofessional."
Goode later said those comments should have been made privately, adding that they "should have been made in an executive session." She said the public remarks prompted her to leave several voicemails for Tedder.
Tedder said he received at least 10 calls from Goode within a six-hour span and added, "I’ve never quite experienced the level of unprofessionalism that we’ve experienced with this certain commissioner."
Goode says this is not a certified legal document and more of a threat.
After those calls, Tedder sent Goode a cease-and-desist email, accusing her of harassment and attacking his integrity. Goode said she was surprised and hurt by the letter, saying it caused her "a lot of stress and anguish."
Goode has frequently criticized Tedder’s $250,000 annual salary and $750,000 compensation package, saying the compensation was excessive and approved without enough oversight. She has blamed previous commissioners for allowing the contract to go through.
Tedder said Goode is entitled to her opinion. "She’s definitely entitled to her opinion, and that’s okay," he said.
Goode acknowledged she can sometimes get off-topic when mentioning Tedder’s pay but said the issue is relevant when discussing city finances. She said Tedder is "by and large doing a good job responding to residents concerns," but added that "he continues to rely too much on consultants and push spending projects without much oversight."
Both Goode and Tedder said communication has improved since the cease-and-desist letter was sent. Tedder said, "Things are definitely improved, and we are speaking and communicating in methods that are more respectful."