New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer’s 2024 budget proposal totals $331.5 million with one-time funding to start projects on new parks, a library, outdoor recreation, a fire service study and more.
Co-chair of the Administration and Finance Committee Councilman George Smiley says he doesn’t have a problem spending money when the county has deep reserves, but wants to make sure there’s money to sustain new initiatives.
“They would build libraries with no thought to the cost of the staffing, the books and everything else. They’d buy park land for a park but with no thought towards replacing playground equipment and cutting the grass. So we’ve become more responsible over the years and this budget reflects this.”
He adds he is happy with how county government has spent its ARPA and CARES Act funds.
Council President Karen Hartley-Nagle says she’s happy to see investments in parks and outdoor spaces – things she says her constituents care about a lot.
The county aims to open Phase 1 of the new Southern New Castle County Park, and the budget plan contains money for maintenance as well as preliminary planning for a nearby park on Bethel Church Road. The proposal also funds completing the Jester Park pathway and meadow project, expanding the number of county pickleball courts to 50, and completing a second turf field at Banning Park.
Harley-Nagle adds finding savings while making it easier for residents to pay their sewer bills electronically was a deal that worked for everyone.
“I had heard from a number of constituents about the fees and it was expensive to do," she says. "This is easy, it doesn’t cost, why can’t they do it that easy instead of writing a check?”
The savings made way for Meyer’s proposed 5% residential property tax credit. Hartley-Nagle supports giving money back to residents, and Smiley agrees.
“Not only that but investing in our infrastructure, the parks, the things that we need to do," he says. "And a lot of these are fix ups and all, because my concern, and I’ve expressed this for years, I have no problem with us, when we’re fluffed with money, doing good things for the people in the county.”
Smiley says another priority on his list is senior home repair programs to keep people in their homes. He also says he wants to ensure the budget is fiscally responsible.
He points to the cost of property reassessments, suggesting they fund the program now, while money is available, so the next time properties are reassessed, taxpayers won’t get hit with the cost all at once.
