NEW CASTLE – Belt tightening and improving services in New Castle County are the major recommendations contained in a report presented to new County Executive Paul Clark Wednesday night.
Examining all six county departments, the various committees of Clark’s 30 person transition team offered recommendations on how the county can trim spending, streamline operations and meet the growing needs and demands of residents and businesses.
Click here to view executive summary of the transition team report
A common thread across the committees that contributed to the report is the need for the administration to craft a strategic plan for working through collective bargaining agreements with the unions representing county workers.
“We’ll start negotiating those contracts as soon as we put our budget together,” Clark said, adding that he hopes the employees, “understand they’re doing a great job, and we want to work with them, but the reality is we only have so much money.”
University of Delaware vice president for administration Jennifer Davis headed up the transition team’s finance committee, which focused on ways to reduce spending. The former director of the State of Delaware’s Office of Management and Budget says that’s necessary because “there is a structural budget challenge looming for New Castle County.” Davis says county revenues are growing at about a 1 to 2 percent rate while expenditures are projected to grow at about a 4 percent rate.
The report from Davis’ finance committee suggests an examination of health insurance coverage offered to county employees. Davis also said it may be time to revisit the idea of tying into the state’s health insurance to reduce costs. Her committee’s report also recommended finding a way restructure retiree benefits, and looking at ways to privatize some county functions.
The land use committee report claims the lack of a periodic real estate reassessment has resulted in inequities in the tax burden, and reduced the county’s potential for revenue generation.
“It’s an expensive undertaking. It’s revenue neutral,” says Clark responding to the suggestion of a reassessment. He explained that the county can’t double real estate taxes if an assessment shows a property’s value has doubled. Claiming only school districts that would benefit from reassessment, Clark said. “Out of every 100 dollars paid in taxes, only about 30 dollars comes to New Castle County.”
NCCo Executive Paul Clark explains why he is not for reassessment (click here to listen).
In presenting her report to the County Executive, land use committee chair Terry Reilly said the Unified Development Code should be extensively reviewed to find ways to reduce barriers to economic development, while preserving quality of life for county residents.
While the report from the public safety committee, headed by former president of the Delaware Fraternal Order of Police Michael Terranova, also recommended a strategic plan for upcoming contract negotiations, many of that panel’s suggestions would require additional spending. Among those are continued funding for the county’s canine and mounted units, updating police dispatch software and appointing a full time public safety director.
The need for improved communication, with both constituents and members of the county workforce, was also noted in several committee reports. Clark said he will make a concerted effort to reach out to county residents in an effort to encourage them to participate more fully.
“History will show that this report has not been a sterile exercise,” said Clark. “It will be the crucible out of which policy initiatives and service delivery improvements will be forged.”
