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 meetings that are happening this week.
Here you will find information about the most important or interesting public meetings happening in Delaware this week.
- Joint Finance Committee to markup the state budget
- New Castle County to vote on its spending plan
- Newport train station proposal to be deliberated
JFC begins a budget ‘markup’
Delaware legislators on the powerful Joint Finance Committee will meet Wednesday and Thursday to decide how to distribute billions of dollars to schools, police, prisons and public health services, among other government agencies.
While the legislature’s final vote on the roughly $7 billion operating budget will not occur until later in June, the spending decisions from the powerful budget committee this week will largely be preserved in the final budget.
As a starting point for its budget-writing process, the committee uses the governor’s proposed budget, which Gov. Matt Meyer introduced in January.
Meyer based his proposal on the latest state revenue estimates available at the time.
But last week Delaware’s budget forecasting committee updated its projections, reporting that it expects the state to receive nearly $200 million more in revenue than previously thought.
While the report is likely to ease fears of cuts to individual state offices, it could invite a renewed lobbying effort among lawmakers and others to include new appropriations to the final state budget.
📍 The Delaware Joint Finance Committee hearings are scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday at Legislative Hall, located at 411 Legislative Ave. in Dover. For details about the Wednesday meeting, click here. For Thursday, click here.
Also meeting this week is the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee, which will review how the Delaware Department of Labor operates the state’s unemployment insurance program.
Two years ago, Delaware’s auditor called the state’s unemployment insurance fund – then estimated at $344 million – “un-auditable.” The finding raised concerns about a key part of the government that serves as a financial backstop for tens of thousands of workers in the state.
Delaware residents can attend any committee hearing in person or virtually through the General Assembly’s online meeting system. To view details of all hearings, scroll through the “What’s Happening” box here.
The full legislature will reconvene on June 9.
New Castle County to vote on tax hike
While state legislators will begin writing their budget this week, representatives of Delaware’s second largest government could approve theirs.
On the agenda for the New Castle County Council’s Tuesday meeting are the county’s operating and capital budget ordinances – along with a handful of amendments to them.
In March, County Executive Marcus Henry first proposed a version of the spending plan, which included a 17% property tax hike for residents. The steep tax increase was there to partially close the county’s $42 million budget deficit.
While the agenda for the Tuesday County Council meeting says the budget ordinance is tabled, county officials previously said the council planned to address the budget this week.
A county official confirmed Friday that the council intends to address the budget on Tuesday.
📍 The New Castle County Council will meet as a full body at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Redding City County Building, located at 800 N. French St. in Wilmington. For more information, including about virtual attendance, click here.
Will trains stop in Newport again?
For years, a goal of transit advocates in northern Delaware has been to reopen a commuter rail station in Newport. The previous train station in the small municipality west of Wilmington ceased operations several decades ago
Five years ago, state planners listed the reopening of a train station among their transportation goals for the area.
On Tuesday, transportation officials will meet to discuss the latest details of studies into the proposal.
📍 The Newport Rail Advisory Committee will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Minquas Fire Company, located at 21 N. James St. in Newport. For more information, click here.
