This is the government website of the Village of Arden, Delaware.
Here you can access the major governing documents of the Village, ordinances, minutes of Town Meetings, information about the Standing Committees, government contacts, permits, voting information and election records, and more. The site is maintained by the Town Secretary. Please contact the Secretary if you cannot find the information you need, if links are not working, or information is outdated. NOTE: As of 1/6/2020, this site is using a new theme since the old one was no longer supported.
Governor Declares State of Emergency
Click here to learn more about the State of Delaware’s response to COVID-19.
Election Results: Committees & Officers
Thank you to all who attended our unusual Town Meeting last night, March 23, 2020 — to those who attended remotely so we could proceed with our election, and to those who came by the Buzz Ware Village Center to vote, as well as the many who voted by Absentee ballot. Voter participation was excellently high! Thanks also to Jeff Politis and Liz Resko for working out the logistics of the meeting, which included a phone hook-up, hand cleaner, multiple pens and pencils, gloves and masks. Pam Cohen and her crew at the Buzz made sure the building was clean and ready for us. In order to comply with the governor’s stay-at-home order (starting the following morning) and to minimize use of the Buzz, the Registration Committee counted votes starting at 8:10 pm and finishing at 9:30. You can link to the results below. We counted votes in teams seated at separate tables, as usual, but this time each team was made up family members — 3 married couples, plus the mother-son team of Julia and Phillip McNeil — to minimize exposure. As always, thanks to all the neighbors who were willing to run for a committee (or two) and to those who posted candidate statements to help inform voters. The new Committee & Officer List, reflecting the results of the election, is now posted. You can link to it through the sidebar.
— Cecilia Vore, chair, Registration Committee
Click this link for election results
Coronavirus Updates
Ardenites,
As we watch the effects of the coronavirus globally, we must consider the potential consequences to us locally and how to best protect our community. For more information, go to either the Delaware Division of Public Health’s website – https://dhss.delaware.gov/
The Buzz Ware Village Center Committee has begun to consider how to address the COVID-19 concern in terms of space usage and events. As they roll out their plan for the Buzz, please be patient and understanding as we are all trying to use the appropriate amount of caution to prevent the spread of this virus to our neighbors.
This is a rapidly evolving situation. We continue to follow the progression of the Coronavirus spread and may need to make adjustments as the situation changes. Please check this website for any local updates.
Finally, and most importantly, as we work through this together, I ask that we remember that we are a community and as such, please care for your neighbors and help those in need if you are able.
Thank you,
Jeffrey Politis
Chair of Town Assembly
Village of Arden
Non-Discrimination Policy
In September, 2016, we presented and approved a non-discrimination policy. At that time, a request was made to include “sex” in that policy. The officers agree with that addition and the updated policy now reads:
The Village of Arden does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, residents, and visitors. The Village of Arden is an equal opportunity employer.
About the Village of Arden, Delaware
The Village of Arden was founded in 1900 as a Single Tax community based on the economic philosophy of Henry George, as well as the Arts and Crafts movement of William Morris and the Garden City movement of Ebenezer Howard. It is still noted for its arts, crafts, music, and theater. Half the land is forests and greens, which are not taxed. As a “Tree City USA,” our tree canopy is 73%. The Village is on the National Register of Historic Places.
With around 250 households and 500 residents, Arden is the oldest and largest of the three villages known as The Ardens: Arden, Ardentown, and Ardencroft. The communal land in each village, such as the woods and greens, is owned by each municipality while the land leased out for dwellings is owned by a trust; that is, people own their houses but pay rent on their leaseholds in the form of taxes. Those taxes — land rent — cover village, county, and local school expenses and are assessed on the square footage of each leasehold. Each village has a separate municipal government.
The Village of Arden has a town-meeting form of government, defined in the Act to Reincorporate of July 29, 1996.
For more about the history of the three Ardens, visit the Arden Craftshop Museum.
For a brief description of Arden government see “Arden: Here’s How It Works.”
If you use the printed Village of Arden Handbook as a reference to Arden government, click here to go to the Red Book Interactive Table of Contents for links to updates on every item in the Handbook. All the content of the Red Book, published in 1996, is on this website. Updates are now entered on the website.