Longtime Millsboro Town Council members Larry Gum and Mayor Faye Lingo were both voted out of office in the Saturday, June 10, election, defeated by challengers Marty Presley and Matthew Davis.
In the contest to represent District 3, Davis defeated Lingo by a 375-to-147 vote. In the Town’s at-large district, Presley received 380 votes, to Gum’s 135. Both Davis and Presley will begin three-year terms on the council next month.
Councilman Ron O’Neal, who ran unopposed, received 348 votes, with 304 by machine and 44 by absentee ballot, and will continue representing District 2 for another three-year term.
For the first time, the Town offered the option of absentee voting, which proved popular. O’Neal received 44 votes by absentee ballot, Davis received 67, Lingo and Gum both got 16, and Presley had 69.
Davis and Presley will be sworn in at the Monday, July 3, town council meeting.
Saturday evening, shortly after vote totals were posted on the Town’s website and front door of Millsboro Town Hall, Davis — who was driving back to Millsboro from Ocean City, Md., with his wife and three children when reached by the Coastal Point — said he appreciates voters’ support.
“There was a lot of really positive support, and I’m excited for the future of the town. There are a lot of really good things going on,” he said.
He thanked Lingo and Gum for their many years of service and said they have been staples in the community.
Currently a member of the Town’s Board of Adjustment, Davis is vice president of Farmers’ Bank of Willards in Millsboro. He said residents on his street in Plantation Lakes are going to gather and celebrate his victory.
Previously, he had said the reason he filed to run for election wasn’t because he’s concerned or upset about anything the current council is doing, but because the town is growing rapidly and council members represent thousands more people than they once did, “and a lot of people are depending on their council to make the right decision.”
“We have an awesome town here, and it’s a growing location. I see it in everybody, through the bank, dealing with customers who come in. I really believe the town has a great future. I want to be part of it,” he said.
Presley, a certified financial planner and father of five who formerly served on the Frankford Town Council before moving to Millsboro, praised Lingo and Gum for their service and said his and Davis’ victory was “representative of what the vast majority of residents felt.”
“They wanted to get new eyes on things and have a different outlook. I think Matt and I listened to what residents were saying and what residents want,” he said.
During his campaign, Presley listed two of his concerns: “rapid growth of the town and the Town’s lack of outreach and transparency to the residents.”
“Growth is integral to any town, but there needs to be a balance with the quality of life of the existing residents. The residents’ concerns should be the priority and the reason why we have an elected council to start with,” Presley said.
He was also concerned about transparency and citizen engagement, which he called “an issue for too long.”
“It is the main concern for many residents of Millsboro. If you look at turnout for town elections, it is unacceptable, and often we have no candidates for the open seats. Even when we do have contested seats, getting 200 votes is considered a big turnout. Canceling elections because the incumbents are unopposed is not healthy for any town, and having the same officials preside over any town for decades can only lead to problems.
“I believe a big part of this is the lack of information the town provides the residents,” Presley said.
He said he finds it unacceptable that the Town “does the bare minimum required by the state” and doesn’t effectively use technology, so he wants to see the website improved. Citizens should be able to watch meetings virtually on Zoom or another platform, find more information on social media and have access to recordings of meetings, he said.
“I chose to make Millsboro my hometown over other towns and states. Millsboro is a great town, and I am very proud to be a resident. But we need to preserve our way of life, and make sure the town is inviting and safe for future generations to come. Development pressure will only increase, since God is not building any more land east of Route 113,” said Presley, a lifelong Delmarva resident who has lived in Sussex County 20 years.