Georgetown, Del., June 17, 2008: Sussex County property owners will see no County property tax increase and all services maintained with the County Council’s approval of a $142 million budget for Fiscal 2009.

County Council, following a public hearing Tuesday, June 17, 2008, approved the budget for the new fiscal year that begins July 1. The adopted budget keeps in place the county’s property tax rate of 44.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, making this the 19 consecutive budget in which the rate has remained the same. th

Just as the tax rate will remain as is, so too will rates for the County’s nearly 60,000 sewer customers. The only increase will be in one-time connection charges for new customers.

While the adopted budget keeps taxes and sewer rates in check, the budget is not growing over the current year’s plan given an expected further decline of realty transfer tax revenue, the 3 percent levy shared between the County and State on most property sales. The overall budget is approximately $113,000 less, or .08 percent, than the current year’s budget, while the general fund portion is down by 5.4 percent, lower than each of the last three years.

“As everyone knows, economic times are tighter now. I am pleased that we are able to maintain our current services and programs in light of decreasing revenue, particularly in the housing sector,” County Administrator David B. Baker said. “But this may be a sign of budgets to come, so it’s important that we keep costs down, watch revenues and plan conservatively.”

The new budget includes funding for, among other things:

• $39 million for capital sewer improvements, expansions of existing sewer districts and the addition of future districts;
• $23 million dedicated for public safety, representing no change from the Fiscal 2008 budget. The funding will pay for the County’s paramedic program, grants to local volunteer fire companies and town police forces, as well as cover the addition of four state troopers to the County’s complement under the Delaware State Police contract. Currently, Sussex County contracts for 36 additional troopers to be assigned to the county; under the 2009 budget, the complement would rise to 40 officers;
• $16.4 million for non-sewer capital improvements, including funding for a runway expansion at the Sussex County Airport and Industrial Park, a new communications equipment building to accompany the new Emergency Operations Center, and expansions at the South Coastal and Milton libraries;
• $750,000 to continue open space acquisition, in partnership with the non-profit Sussex County Land Trust and the Delaware Department of Agriculture. More than 3,000 acres have been preserved in Sussex in recent years through those partnerships.

The approved budget comes as Delaware’s three counties try to help the State through its own budget concerns by offering funding assistance. Sussex County has been working with Kent and New Castle counties and the State Budget Office on this endeavor, Mr. Baker said. The County, meantime, continues to monitor the State’s budget. Mr. Baker noted any changes to County revenues by the State would result in major cuts to the approved budget.

Council President Finley B. Jones Jr. praised the budget’s writers – the committee included Mr. Baker, Finance Director Susan M. Webb, Budget and Cost Manager Kathy Roth and Accounting Director Gina Jennings – for balancing needs with affordability.

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Copies of the Fiscal Year 2009 budget, the accompanying budget letter and original news release issued May 20, 2008, are posted on the county’s website at sussexcountyde.gov.