Why Should Delaware Care?
Government works best when its citizens are knowledgeable and engaged. Delaware’s government has scores of commissions, working groups, agencies and legislative committees. All must hold meetings that are open to the public.
Most government watchers will be focused this week on Delaware’s special session where lawmakers will meet on Tuesday to consider reforms to property taxes.
But there also are other public bodies meeting to discuss consequential topics during this middle-of-August week – including the state’s embattled hospital cost review board, and the Newark City Council with its plans to tax the University of Delaware.
Headlining them all though is a Delaware education commission that is in charge of recommending how dollars should be redistributed to schools during this politically fraught time for education.
Education Funding Commission returns to iron out details
The Public Education Funding Commission is holding its first meeting since its members voted unanimously in June to approve a recommendation to move forward with a new hybrid funding framework that would send more money to schools with large numbers of low-income students or English-language learners.
On Monday, the Public Education Funding Commission will be discussing what people in the education world call equalization, which gives more state money to districts with less local property tax revenue, and the current tax structure.
The meeting will be held virtually from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday. Those who would like to attend should go to the public meeting page here, then click on the Zoom link provided.
Will the hospital cost review board last?
Four hours before lawmakers reconvene in Dover for a special session on Tuesday, the Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board will meet to discuss the regulations it may impose on hospitals across the state.
The board also will discuss an ongoing lawsuit that threatens its very existence, but those conversations will be done during a secret executive session. ChristianaCare – the state’s largest hospital system – filed the lawsuit last year and claims that the cost review board’s authority to regulate hospital budgets is unconstitutional.
The review board will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Herman M. Holloway Sr. Campus – DHSS Chapel, located at 1901 North Dupont Highway in New Castle. Click here for information on attending the meeting virtually.
The meeting will be the board’s second since its former chair stepped down in June after a spat with Gov. Matt Meyer over whether the public body should hold meetings amid the ongoing lawsuit.
Newark aims to finish UD tax
In June, lawmakers passed a bill allowing Newark to collect a tax from the University of Delaware for every student that attends classes at the main campus.
Late last month, the council for Delaware’s third largest city approved the plan and this week it is scheduled to officially set the head tax rate at $50 per student for the fall semester at the state’s flagship university.
The city council meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Monday at the Newark Municipal Building, located at 220 South Main St. To attend virtually, click here then find the Join Now link under the city council heading.
Other local governments that are meeting this week include:
- Sussex County Council meeting at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday
- Kent County Levy Court business meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday
- Milford City Council at 6 p.m. Monday.
- Dover City Council at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
