Founded in 1963, DLLG is a non-partisan, non-profit association that works to further enhance the ability of Delaware’s local governments to represent their constituents by:

• Acting as an advocate for Delaware’s local governments before the Delaware General Assembly;
• Serving as a definitive information clearinghouse and providing educational opportunities for elected and appointed officials; and
• Providing networking opportunities and forums for discussions and sharing of mutual concerns;

DLLG benefits local government members through services that provide:

• A strong, collective voice on legislative and policies issues affecting Delaware’s local governments;
• Resources and training to build leadership capacity;
• Access to technical expertise through our partners at the University of Delaware;
• Exclusive networking opportunities;
• Eligibility to participate in DFIT – a statewide group self-insurance workers compensation program and the Trident property & casualty coverage program.
• Access to Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) consulting and grants to build and sustain capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism, cybersecurity threats, and other disasters;  
• Federal advocacy via the National League of Cities (NLC), the voice of America’s 19,000 cities, towns and villages. 

Contact Executive Director, Janelle Cornwell executivedirector@dllg.us

Contact Executive Director Janelle Cornwell executivedirector@dllg.us

The Institute for Public Administration at the University of Delaware maintains an online Directory of Delaware local governments and officials.

All states establish mechanisms by which local governments are created through their laws, constitutions, or direct state action (e.g., through a charter).

• Municipalities - In Delaware, incorporated municipalities are chartered by the Delaware General Assembly. Charters for each of Delaware’s 57 incorporated municipalities can be accessed via the State of Delaware’s Charters webpage. View Title 22 “Municipalities” of the Delaware Code for provisions governing municipal governments in Delaware,
• Counties – As one of America’s oldest forms of government, counties are on the front lines of delivering services to residents. The organization and structure of today’s 3,069 county governments are chartered under state constitutions or laws and are tailored to fit the needs and characteristics of states and local areas. There are three counties in Delaware. View Title 9 “Counties” of the Delaware Code for provisions governing county governments in Delaware.

In Delaware, there are two primary types of local governments—county governments and municipalities (i.e., villages, towns, and cities). States also establish special districts to fulfill specific government functions with relative autonomy from any other government entity.

Preemption occurs when a higher level of government supersedes the authority of lower levels and/or restricts or even prevents a lower-level government (e.g., county or municipality) from self -regulating.  Download and read NLC’s “Preemption 101” fact sheet to learn more about preemption and why it matters to local governments.