Wilmington’s FY 2017 Budget Approved Last Night During a Special Meeting of City Council
The 13-member body met to reconsider last week’s defeat of the budget and passed the plan by a vote of 8 to 5; the FY 2017 budget was amended to eliminate an additional vacant position
Wilmington City Council voted last night in special session to approve the City’s Fiscal Year 2017 Operating Budget and Water and Sewer Budget. The vote was 8 to 5. Last night’s meeting was scheduled so council could reconsider its vote of last week to disapprove the budget. The plan that Council approved last night is the same as last week’s except for the elimination of one additional vacant position.
The approved FY 2017 budget, which becomes effective on July 1, totals $154.5 million. Five vacant positions are being eliminated and $1.5 million will be transferred from the Unassigned Fund Balance to the City’s Housing Strategic Fund to support the City’s new Land Bank, the Wilmington Housing Partnership and other housing related projects benefitting neighborhoods. The new budget does not require an increase in the City’s current property tax rate or the City’s current water, sewer and stormwater rate. The budget also includes $100,000 for management efficiency studies for the Finance and Public Works departments to explore ways to improve government services and reduce costs.
Council Member Bob Williams (D-7th District) was one of the seven council members who voted against the budget plan last week because he said contract talks between the City and the police and fire unions were moving too slowly. Williams voted for the budget tonight satisfied that his opinion has been heard and because the Administration eliminated an additional vacant position.
Council Member Darius Brown (D-3rd District), who also voted against the budget last week but supported it last night, said he did so because he has been assured that Mayor Dennis P. Williams will soon create a task force, which is supported by Council President Theo Gregory, to study the City’s escalating health care costs. Brown said rising costs for the health care of City employees, which necessitated a $2 million transfer from the City’s Risk Management Fund Assessment to help balance the FY 2017 budget, need to be brought under control. Brown said he is encouraged by the Administration’s efforts thus far to find greater efficiencies in health care expenditures and said the task force will be a big step forward for the City.
Council last night also approved the FY 2017 Water and Sewer Budget which totals $73.3 million. This budget, also known as the Water and Sewer Fund, will support the City’s drinking water supply as well as the disposal and cleaning of wastewater, stormwater management projects and the infrastructure needed for each system.
Council President Gregory thanked members of Council last night for finding common ground on behalf of the citizens of Wilmington in order to adopt a budget for Fiscal Year 2017.
For more information about this news release, contact:
John Rago
Communications and Policy Development Director
Wilmington City Council
Phone: (302) 576-2149
Mobile: (302) 420-7928
Email: jrago@WilmingtonDE.gov