Delaware budget set for review

In two days Delaware’s financial watchdog releases its final revenue report.  The Delaware legislature’s Joint Finance Committee decided it didn’t need any more figures.  It has completed a Delaware budget that is ready for legislative review.

When Governor Jack Markell took office in 2009 the state faced massive budget short fall.  A final budget didn’t come to legislators until the final night of the legislative session.  That moved received a lot of criticism.  Last year a budget was completed a week before the June 30th deadline.

This year June 30th is more than two weeks away and legislators can now review the budget before a vote.  House Speaker Robert Gilligan praised the J-F-C for its six months of work.

It has posted the 238-page House Bill 190  on line.  The bill that will be presented for a vote is $3.51 billion.  The Governor’s original budget request is also listed on line. 

Since that budget release in January the Delaware Economy and Finance and Advisory Council (DEFAC) has released projections that show an increase in revenue coming into Delaware.  That allowed some changes in thought on how some items are funded.  The final DEFAC report for this year will be released Thursday.

Bill Cook will be gathering reaction and reporting on the budget vote over the next days and weeks here on www.newsworks.org/delaware.