DOVER, Del. (AP) - Just months after fellow Democrats expressed concerns about Delaware's dire financial situation and a potential $160 million shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year, Gov. Jack Markell is proposing to increase the state's operating budget by more than 5 percent.
The $4.1 billion proposal unveiled Thursday includes $18 million in new spending for a general pay increase for state employees, and an additional $16 million for other salary increases, including $9 million in annual pay increases for teachers.
To help balance the spending plan, Markell is proposing modest increases in state employee health care premiums, cuts to open space and farmland preservation programs, and elimination of the state's energy efficiency fund.
Markell is also proposing a $487 million capital budget for construction and road projects, up from $456 million this year.
