On the wings of another staggering surplus, Gov. John Carney on Tuesday signed the $5.1 billion 2023 operating budget for Delaware. It takes effect Friday, July 1. The operating budget, Senate Bill 250, is the largest in Delaware’s history, reflecting a rise in spending of 6.9% in spending over the previous year. It also will increase Delaware’s Rainy Day …
Committee votes to raise senior property tax credit
The committee responsible for drafting the state’s budget has voted to restore the senior property tax credit to its pre-2017 level. The credit was cut from $500 to $400 per year in 2017 in an effort to close a budget shortfall that year. Currently, the program allows homeowners ages 65 and over to claim a tax credit against regular school …
Lawmakers OK state worker pay raises, $500 bonus
The General Assembly’s budget-writing committee on Tuesday approved raises for state workers. Under the governor’s proposed budget, employees on the lower end of the pay scale would get the most significant boost in pay. The Joint Finance Committee approved the increases during its first day of “markup,” a period during which the committee takes the governor’s recommended budget and votes …
Labor Dept. says fraud behind many unemployment delays
After Milford resident Candice Hamilton was let go from her health care job in November 2021 she immediately filed for unemployment. After receiving her benefits for three weeks, the payments stopped. In late December, Hamilton was told by a Department of Labor caseworker that her claim is in a queue awaiting assignment to a claims deputy and that there was …