Plan focuses on strengthening economy, investing in public schools, supporting families and workforce, and protecting the environment

DOVER, Del. – Governor Carney on Thursday presented his Fiscal Year 2025 Recommended Budget sending the General Assembly a plan that will strengthen Delaware’s economy, invest in public schools, support Delaware’s families and workforce, and protect our environment.

“Our recommended budget continues to responsibly invest in areas I’ve prioritized during my time as Governor—in public schools, our economy, our workforce, and protecting our environment—while making sure these investments are sustainable in the long run,” said Governor Carney. “Our plan makes significant investments in early childhood education to create more seats for the children and families who need them the most. Our budget fully funds the first year of the Public Education Compensation Committee recommendations for educators – building on the raise I signed into law last year. To continue investing in these priorities, we need to address health care cost inflation, which is adding $200 million dollars to our budget next year. Delawareans understand the need for a balanced, long-term budget plan for our state so we can compete in the future. I look forward to discussing this plan for long-term budget sustainability with members of the General Assembly, and I’d like to thank them for their consideration of this budget.”

Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Highlights

• General Fund Operating budget totals $6.07 billion
• Maintains $410.1 million in the Budget Stabilization Fund to manage through forecasted flat revenues in the out years
• Appropriates $91.8 million toward one-time items in a separate supplemental appropriation bill
• Takes continued steps towards providing competitive compensation for state employees
• Moves toward a goal of $60,000 starting salary for new teachers over next four years (Year 1 of the Public Education Compensation Committee recommendations)
• Promotes early childhood education and child care investments
• Increases Opportunity Funding investments for low-income students and English language learners in our schools
• Supports economic development, infrastructure, and safe communities throughout the State
• Continues investments in climate change prevention, clean water, and environmental initiatives
• Adds nearly $200 million for health care cost inflation

Investing in Delaware’s Children

• Invests more than $135 million for early childhood education including $83 million for Purchase of Care and $16 million for the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP)
• Increases Opportunity Funding Investments by $10 million for a total of $63 million
• $45.2 million for increasing public education salaries
• Adds $56.5 million for Student Unit Growth

Protecting Delaware’s Environment for Future Generations

• $7.5 million for electric vehicle infrastructure and clean energy (includes federal funds)
• $24.7 million for shoreline and waterway resiliency (Includes $18 million from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; $1.7 million federal grant funding)
• $20 million in Aglands preservation and Open Space
• $32.8 million for clean water initiatives (Total Clean Water $77.4 million with $44.6 in federal funding; restores $13 million for Drinking Water)

Preparing for the Economy of the Future

• $52.5 million for economic development
• $32.5 million for the Strategic Fund, Graduation Lab Space, Site Readiness, and Transportation Infrastructure Fund
• $20 million for the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) and SABRE
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Supporting Delaware’s Workforce

• A 2% minimum increase across the board for state employees
• Continued funding for historic wage increase for teachers, reaching the goal of a $60,000 starting salary in four years
• Invests $150 million in state employee health care and other post-retirement employee benefits

Download Governor Carney’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget presentation.

Watch the budget presentation on Governor Carney’s YouTube page.

Seventh annual report highlights State’s continuous improvement accomplishments

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Monday released the seventh annual report of the Government Efficiency and Accountability Review (GEAR) Board. Governor Carney established GEAR under Executive Order #4 in February 2017 to identify ways for State government to sustain its culture of continuous improvement by improving the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of public services, while bending the cost curve of government downward.

“Delaware’s economy is growing, and more Delawareans are working today than at any time in our history,” said Governor John Carney. “However, there is more work to do.  That is why GEAR continues to be a valuable program for us in saving money and promoting continuous improvement.  It ensures an efficient and effective State government that always puts Delaware taxpayers first.”

The report highlights key accomplishments and ongoing efforts across State government in 2023, that include:

• Expanding development of continuous improvement professionals throughout State government. Eighty-three practitioners from 16 State organizations are executing projects within a portfolio of 140 initiatives. Savings to the State are estimated to total $76-80 million over the life of projects underway.
• Achieving savings and improvements for taxpayers through restructuring leases, improving data analysis of school district enrollment projections, minimizing the debt burden for ex-offenders, modernizing the client experience at state service centers, growing the Delaware Communities of Excellence to produce a statewide literacy ecosystem, revamping unemployment insurance processes and systems, enhancing financing options for farmers, optimizing long-term care delivery, along with streamlining financial, human resource, and information technology systems.
• Continuing the GEAR P3 Innovation and Efficiency and Trailblazer Award programs that reward State employees who demonstrate successful implementations of innovative, cost saving, and service enhancing continuous improvement projects.
• Reviewing capital project processes within public school systems through the EdGEAR (Education-GEAR) team with a comprehensive review of the minor capital improvement funding process currently underway.
• Recognizing GEAR’s accomplishments through inclusion in Results for America’s – 2023 Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence, a nationally recognized state benchmarking program, that the GEAR program will leverage to coordinate with other state governments that are pursuing data driven best practices.

The Board’s report, released each December, also provides policy and budgetary recommendations for possible inclusion in the Governor’s agenda and recommended budgets.  Several of the recommendations included in the 2023 report are highlighted below.  Governor Carney’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal will be released on January 25, 2024.

Recommendations in the 2023 report include:

• Sustaining participation in the Continuous Improvement Practitioner (CIP) Training program and creating project and process leadership training paths using the First State Quality Improvement Fund.
• Establishing job classifications within the State personnel system for project managers, Lean business process analysts, and other continuous improvement specialists.
• Supporting the Ready in Six permitting improvement initiative by investing in specific process improvements being developed with State agency partners.
• Investing in the development of digital government services to allow citizens to transact business with the State anytime, from anywhere, and on any device through the Go DE initiative launching in 2024 beginning with a centralized payment interface.
• Modernizing the State’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems (financial, human resource, and pension administration).
• Building upon GEAR’s foundation of business process management and project management tools by staying engaged with emerging industry trends in artificial intelligence, business process mining, and robotic process automation.

“GEAR was never meant to be a one-time study on government efficiency to gain a few quick wins and then rest easy.  The intent is to drive an ongoing culture change – integral to how the State does business while guiding the services of government,” said Charles Clark and Daniel Madrid, Executive Director and Deputy Director of GEAR respectively, and Bryan Sullivan, Director of Management Efficiency at the Delaware Office of Management and Budget. “This is why GEAR will continue to be necessary in the future – supporting an adaptive, highly effective, and efficient Delaware State government for generations to come.”

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney has ordered Delaware flags to be lowered to half-staff at all state facilities on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 until sunset on Friday, October 13, 2023 to honor those who have lost their lives due to recent violence in Israel.

Local governments, businesses, and Delawareans are encouraged to do the same as a mark of respect for the victims of the terrorist attacks.

“Delawareans stand with our friends in Israel and we strongly condemn these violent terrorist attacks that are targeting innocent people,” said Governor Carney. “We stand in solidarity with our Jewish neighbors. Terrorism is never justified and Tracey and I pray for all the lives lost, the people of Israel, and their families and friends in Delaware and around the world.”

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney has ordered the Delaware flag to be lowered to half-staff at all state facilities on Thursday, August 31, 2023, from sunrise to sunset, in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day, as declared by Senate Joint Resolution 2.

Local governments, businesses, and Delawareans are encouraged to do the same to promote awareness of overdose prevention strategies and to acknowledge all who have suffered the loss of a loved one to overdose.

“For too long, Delaware has struggled with a high rate of overdose deaths,” said Governor Carney. “We all know families that have lost a loved one to addiction or overdose and understand how difficult a challenge this can be to address. Today, we recognize and remember all those who have been impacted by this crisis and recommit to supporting those in need. I want to thank our first responders, medical professionals, and all those who play a role in keeping our communities safe from overdoses.”

“Tackling the opioid crisis takes dogged determination, but I know it is also so hard on the heart. On this International Overdose Awareness Day, we’re taking time to remember the Delawareans we’ve lost. Right now, there’s an empty chair at the kitchen table, a place missing on the soccer sidelines, and a deep, aching grieving for too many families. It’s so important we raise awareness and keep laser-focused on what we can do to uplift one another up in the darkest of times. Through the Behavioral Health Consortium and the Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission, we are helping to take action and support our communities. Let’s continue to confront this epidemic together and provide hope to our families across the First State,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, Chair of the Delaware Behavioral Health Consortium. 

Additional Resources:

Visit helpisherede.com

Delaware Hope Line: Dial 1 (833) 9-HOPEDE

Delaware 211: Dial 211

National Suicide and Crisis Hotline: Dial 988

WILMINGTON, Del. – As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas, and in concurrence with the President Biden’s order, Governor John Carney has ordered both the U.S. and Delaware flags at state buildings and facilities be flown at half-staff until sunset on May 11, 2023.

“Allen, Texas was the latest American town shocked by a terrifying act of gun violence this weekend. My heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims and to the whole Allen community as they navigate this challenging time,” said Governor Carney. “We’ve seen too many of these incidents and every time we do, it means more lives lost. We need to act. Families should feel safe at their shopping centers, their schools, and in their neighborhoods. As public officials, we have an obligation to keep our communities safe. We’re not waiting to take those steps in Delaware – and I encourage Congress to act on gun safety legislation to curb future tragedies that takes guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them and addresses the mental health crisis in our country.”

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