By Glenn Rolfe

DAGSBORO — There’s no municipal election in 2021, but there will be a new face coming aboard.

Town Council incumbents Brian Baull and Theresa Ulrich and newcomer William Labor are uncontested candidates and will fill the three seats expiring this year. The three filed before the deadline last Friday.

There was a fourth filing, but Councilman Patrick Miller had a change of heart and withdrew, ending his six-year tenure to spend more time with family.

Had there been a contested race, Dagsboro’s election would have been Dec. 4.

Councilman Baull, Councilwoman Ulrich and Mr. Labor will be sworn in at the Dec. 20 meeting, beginning their two-year terms.

Councilman Baull and Councilwoman Ulrich are both in their eighth years serving on the governing body. The councilman has also served as mayor for five years, a position chosen for him by his colleagues.

Mr. Labor, a senior manager for Microsoft, moved to Dagsboro from the New Jersey/Pennsylvania area about a year-and-a-half ago. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children — ages 6, 4 and 8 months. They are neighbors of Mr. Miller’s.

“So that’s kind of how I heard about the opportunity,” said Mr. Labor, who spoke at the mayor/council meeting Monday. “I did talk with Pat a lot about the opportunity and kind of learned a little bit about what it would be like. Being in a small town, I feel like the council could really impact the community and the decisions that are made.”

Mr. Labor added that being part of the town’s decision-making is important.

“I care about the community. My kids are young, and they are going to be here. If I can have some opportunity to shape that community for them as they grow, I think that would be great,” he said. “I appreciate the opportunity to get involved in the area where I live and hopefully make an impact.”

There also was no election in Dagsboro in 2020, as incumbents Norwood Truitt and William B. Chandler III were both unopposed.

In 2019, Councilwoman Ulrich, Mr. Miller and Councilman Baull defeated challenger James Thompson to retain their seats. That election drew only 45 of the town’s approximate 700 registered voters.

Mr. Miller was elected in December 2014, joining council the next month. He plans to have more time for immediate family — his wife, Dana, and his daughter, Audrey, who lives in Los Angeles.

The Miller family for several years operated Dagsboro Days, a popular coffee shop on Main Street.

“I enjoyed my time here. I feel like I had a little bit of influence. I mean, we owned a business here in town,” said Mr. Miller. “I feel like I am being pulled in the direction of family right now. My wife and I will probably be finding ourselves in Los Angeles … pretty soon.”