Georgetown, Del., June 17, 2025: Sussex County has written the check on its spending plan for the year ahead.
County Council, following a public hearing Tuesday, June 17, 2025, voted to approve the proposed $285.1 million budget for the 2026 fiscal year that begins July 1. Under Delaware law, Sussex County must adopt a balanced budget by June 30 each year.
The adopted budget is a first in more than a generation for the County, with a new property tax rate – lowered from 44.5 cents to 2.14 cents per $100 of assessed value – to compensate for higher property valuations following the recently completed court-ordered reassessment project. However, the result, with a lowered rate but higher parcel values, keeps the County ‘revenue neutral’ in terms of the total amount collected in property taxes from one year to the next.
“This is a historic budget in that sense, but it remains true to what has been a familiar theme throughout the years in Sussex County,” County Administrator Todd F. Lawson said. “And that’s one of providing the highest quality services at the best possible value for our customers.”
The overall budget is up nearly $20 million, or 7.3 percent, over the current year, fueled largely by capital expenses for public wastewater improvements, the general fund portion of the budget that pays for day-to-day operations, meantime, is rising just $4 million, or 4.4 percent.
The budget is supported by a mix of income streams, including property taxes, realty transfer taxes, sewer service fees, building permit fees, and document recording fees, some of which are increasing in next year’s budget, including for sewer and water services, as well as the Sheriff’s, Geographic Information, and Engineering offices. That revenue, in turn, funds a wealth of local services, including paramedics and 911 dispatchers, public wastewater treatment, building inspection, and public libraries, among other services.
Among the highlights in the now-adopted FY2026 budget, the plan includes $76.7 million for wastewater infrastructure, including expansion of two treatment plants, new service areas, increased capacity, and other upgrades to the County utility systems; $7.4 million to purchase open space and farmland, preserving it for the future; increased funding, from $4.6 million to $5.8 million, for the County’s contract with the State of Delaware for supplemental state police troopers assigned to Sussex County; $6 million for local fire companies and ambulance squads to help with operational costs, including paid EMT salaries; increased funding, from $900,000 to $1.2 million, for municipalities providing local law enforcement services; and $1.25 million for affordable housing initiatives, including rehabilitation for low-income households, as well as homebuying settlement assistance. There is also funding, totaling $2.4 million, for the design, planning, and construction of paramedic stations in the Dewey Beach, Lincoln, and Milton areas.
County Finance Director Gina A. Jennings said the budget continues the trend in recent years of balancing rising demand for public services while accounting for increased costs, all while maintaining the County’s long-held conservative fiscal management practices.
Council President Doug Hudson said that prudent philosophy of sound fiscal management, while keeping the County flexible enough to account for increased demands on services, is among the County Council’s highest priorities.
“Whether it’s a household budget or a government budget, we all can feel the squeeze of inflation and increasing demand on our pocketbooks and wallets,” President Hudson said. “The Council recognizes that. I’m proud of the work this County does year to year in respecting the value of the taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars, and that’s clearly what’s driving this budget, one that keeps costs in check, but recognizes the ever-changing needs of our growing community.”
Copies of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, as well as the accompanying budget presentation, can be downloaded from the County website at www.sussexcountyde.gov/county-budget.
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