Sussex County Council has signed off on next year’s budget.
Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $177.5 million spending plan for Fiscal Year 2019.
There’s no property tax increase in the budget, but water and sewer fees are each going up about six dollars annually. The plan also uses cash reserves to fund investment in county services.
“Sussex County is a growing community with a bustling economy, and with that comes an unending need for a variety of local services,” said County Administrator Todd Lawson in a statement. “It’s imperative that County government remain responsive to the changing needs, while being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers, and this budget reflects that balance
More than $40 million are slated for sewer improvements, including $21 million for the county’s portion of the Rehoboth Beach Outfall project.
There’s also a $200,000 increase in funding to the county’s contract with State Police. That will allow the county to keep the extra 22 troopers assigned to Sussex.
More than a million dollars are allocated to increasing broadband internet in rural areas, and another million would go to preserving open space farmland.
