DOVER, Del (AP) — Delaware lawmakers approved on Thursday a $6.13 billion general fund operating budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, an increase of more than 9% from this year’s operating budget.
House and Senate lawmakers also approved a separate “supplemental budget” bill of more than $168.3 million, using one-time appropriations.
The operating budget is about $54 million higher than what Democratic Gov. John Carney recommended in January. The supplemental spending bill is $76 million higher than what Carney proposed.
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Sen. Trey Paradee, a Dover Democrat and co-chair of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee, described the spending plan as “a responsible, balanced budget that reflects Delaware’s solid economic growth over the last year.”
Approval of the budget continues a pattern of Delaware lawmakers signing off on spending increases that have approached 10% annually, even as officials expect essentially flat revenue growth this year and next year.
House Minority Whip Lyndon Yearick, a Dover Republican, noted that the state budget has increased by $1 billion over the past two years.
“I’m challenged to see how we’re going to keep that pace of spending up,” said Yearick, one of three House Republicans who voted against the budget bill. The supplemental bill received unanimous support in both chambers.
The operating budget marks the third consecutive year of pay raises for state employees, with most rank-and-file employees receiving a 2% increase. For teachers, base salary has increased by 11% increase over the past two years while base pay for support staff, including custodians, secretaries, bus drivers and food service workers has increased between 6% and 18% during the same period, depending on their job classification.
