A committee to review state spending is finally in place.
Gov. Markell signed an executive order Friday creating the Delaware Expenditure Review Committee. The 12-member panel will review how the state spends its money and offer recommendations to make it more efficient and cost-effective.
“We must do everything we can to deliver the most value to Delawareans at a reasonable cost and the committee I’m creating today builds on six years of work to make government more efficient in providing high quality services to our citizens," said Markell in a statement. "The results so far have produced the least amount of budget growth during any administration – Republican or Democrat – in modern history. We must remain open to evaluating new ideas and look forward to partnering with the private sector to continue this effort.”
The launch of the group has been delayed by disagreements over its make-up and who would chair it.
It does not include any current members of the General Assembly. Republicans had lobbied for keeping lawmakers off the panel.
Fred Sears, president and CEO of the non-profit Delaware Community Foundation, is the chair. The former president of Commerce Bank-Delaware was named to the committee by House Speaker Pete Schwartzopf (D-Rehoboth Beach) and made its chair by Joint Finance Committee Co-Chairs – state Rep. Melanie Smith (D-Bear/Newark) and state Sen. Harris McDowell (D-Wilmington North).
“This is a unique opportunity to bring together private and public sector leaders to take a look at how the State may be able to find savings,” said Sears in a statement. “This is not going to be easy, but I think the Governor and legislative leaders have appointed a good team that is prepared to go to work.”
The group also includes Office of Management and Budget director Ann Visalli and Josh Martin, chair of the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Committee (DEFAC)– the group that delivers Delaware revenue estimates.
The state’s business community will also have a voice. Capital One VP Rick Gessner will represent the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce on the committee, while Robert McMurray, Christiana Care Health System VP and Controller, will represent the Delaware Business Roundtable.
The Business Roundtable, a group of area CEOs, recently commissioned a study that projects steep budget problems barring any public policy changes. The group called cuts to spending on state employee health benefits, the state education system and Medicaid, while urging lawmakers to reject tax increases it thinks will hinder economic growth.
Republican lawmakers praised creation of the committee Friday afternoon.
"Taking a close look at the spending side of the ledger is something that we’ve been pushing for for a very long time. So while it’s long overdue, we’re happy to see that the governor has agreed with us and decided to move forward with this vital initiative, said Senate Minority Leader Gary Simpson (R- Milford) and Sen. Dave Lawson (R-Marydel), a member of the General Assembly’s Joint Finance Committee, in a joint statement. "With Delaware looking at a budget gap next year of around $135 million and even greater deficits projected in the coming years, we could not wait a second longer for what we hope is a serious discussion about responsible government spending."
The group is scheduled to offer a report its findings and recommendations to Gov. Markell and the General Assembly by January 29th of next year.
