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. Below we highlight a few of those minutes that are happening this week.
Here is a look at some of the most important or interesting public meetings happening around the state this week:
- Bond bill committee hearings to begin in Dover
- Revenue analysts to discuss hospital spending requirements
- Dover leaders mull how to use opioid settlement funds
- Delmar leaders across state lines introduce joint budget
Lawmakers to consider capital spending proposals
The General Assembly’s Bond Bill Committee will meet for several days this week to consider proposals by state agencies to fund capital building projects using state bonds.
Each year, the state issues about $1 billion in debt through the bond market on the back of state taxpayers in order to fund large construction projects like road improvements, new schools and upgraded state facilities. That debt is repaid over multiple years to reduce its financial impact on a single year.
Officially called the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, the group of lawmakers from both the House and Senate, led by retiring Rep. Debra Heffernan (D-Bellefonte) and State Sen. Jack Walsh (D-Stanton), will meet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
During those committee meetings, lawmakers will hear presentations from agencies like the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Delaware State Housing Authority about the capital projects they would like to see included in the legislature’s omnibus spending package later this spring.
Monday’s hearing will include presentations from:
- Delaware State Housing Authority
- Department of Health and Social Services
- Department of Safety and Homeland Security
Tuesday’s hearing will include presentations from:
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
- Department of Justice
- Department of Correction
Wednesday’s hearing will include presentations from:
- Department of State
- Department of Labor
- Wilmington’s Riverfront Development Corporation
Thursday’s hearing will focus on education projects in the First State, with presentations from:
- Department of Education
- University of Delaware
- Delaware State University
- Delaware Technical Community College
📍 The Joint Capital Improvement Committee is scheduled to meet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday inside the Joint Finance Committee Hearing Room at Legislative Hall, located at 411 Legislative Ave. in Dover. For the full schedule of presenting agencies and information about virtual attendance, scroll through the “What’s Happening” tab here.
Revenue analysts discuss health care costs
A group of state revenue analysts will vote Wednesday to determine the level at which Delaware hospitals will be held accountable for increasing their financial burden on state taxpayers in 2027.
The Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council, better known as DEFAC, sets what is called the “health care spending benchmark” in an attempt to keep hospital spending — that is often passed on to Delawareans — at a manageable level. Since 2018, Delaware has blown past its spending benchmarks almost every year they have been in effect.
A board meant to keep hospitals within the spending benchmark had a powerful enforcement lever in its arsenal until earlier this year, but that mechanism to modify or veto hospital budgets not in line with the benchmark has since been repealed following a lawsuit with the state’s largest hospital system.
📍 The DEFAC Healthcare Spending Benchmark Subcommittee is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday inside the DHSS Chapel at the Herman M. Holloway Sr. Campus, located at 1901 N. Dupont Highway in New Castle. For more information, including about virtual attendance, click here.
Opioid fund discussions in Dover
Dover City Council members will discuss on Monday how to spend the city’s portion of the state’s opioid settlement funds.
Earlier this year, a commission stood up by Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen concluded the city should spend its share of the funds, about $250,000 this year, on a youth-focused initiative meant to prevent and combat opioid drug use among kids in the capital city.
Members of that commission will now advance their recommendations to the full city council for final consideration.
📍 The Dover City Council is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday inside City Hall Council Chambers, located at 15 Loockerman Plaza in Dover. For more information, including about virtual attendance, click here.
A bi-state budget proposal
Town leaders in Delmar – both in Delaware and neighboring Maryland – will hold a joint meeting of their town councils Monday night to introduce a proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
While the Delaware and Maryland sides of Delmar each technically have their own governments with separate mayors and town councils, the municipalities often operate jointly on key issues like education policing and sewage treatment.
Because of these joint operations, the towns split the cost of running the shared operations each year.
📍 The Delmar Joint Town Council is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Delmar Town Hall, located at 12 E. State St. in Delmar. For more information, including about virtual attendance, click here.
Reporter Nick Stonesifer contributed to this report.
