Governor John Carney unveiled his proposed 2023 fiscal year budget for the first state.
In a press conference online last week, Carney unveiled a $4.9 billion budget, a slight increase from the previous year’s budget.
Some of the highlights of the budget includes a 60-million dollar economic investment for transportation infrastructure and graduation lab spaces to name a few. Nearly 340-million dollars towards funding school projects, 20-million towards mental health services in elementary schools, and more.
From the Governor’s Office:
Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Highlights
- General Fund Operating budget totals $4.9 billion, limiting growth to 4.6%
- Sets aside over $15.2 million in reserves (after projected cash to bond bill and grant in aid)
- Appropriates $215 million toward one-time items in a separate supplemental appropriation bill
- Takes continued steps toward providing compensation and pay equity for state employees
- Increases Opportunity Funding investments in our schools for low-income students and English language learners
- Continues investments in clean water, economic development and fulfills our commitments to new school construction in all three counties
- Continues to fund secure and modern spaces for Kent and Sussex County courthouses
Preparing for the Economy of the Future
- Invests $60 million in economic development, including:
- $30 million in strategic fund
- $10 million in site readiness
- $10 million in graduation lab space
- $10 million in transportation infrastructure fund
Environmental Initiatives
- Invests $404.7 million in environmental justice, including:
- $30 million in aglands preservation and open space
- $7.5 million in shoreline and waterway resiliency
- $367.2 million in clean water, including federal support from the American Rescue Plant Act
Investing in Delaware’s Children
- Invests $339.9 million in funding school projects, including $19.8 million for the Wilmington Learning Collaborative and Redding Consortium
- Increases funding by $4.5 million for low-income students and English learner students towards achieving the goal of doubling opportunity funding by 2025
- Invests $20.6 million to support mental health service units for elementary schools
- Invests millions in Delaware’s higher education institutions including capital improvements, technology upgrades, scholarships, and investments into the Higher Education Economic Development Investment Fund
Supporting Delaware Families
- $1.4 million to support extended post-partum Medicaid coverage
- $1.5 million for the development of a therapeutic foster care program
- Nearly $1 million to support the growth of Delaware Healthy Children Insurance Program (CHIP)
- $3.7 million to support expungement programs
Supporting Delaware’s Workforce
- Investing $88.7 million in compensation and pay equity to move toward a $15 minimum wage for state workers, increase to merit pay scales or 2% pay increase
- Supporting Health Care Workers
- $500,000 to increase funding for the Health Care provider State loan repayment program
- $300,000 to permanently fund the mental health services loan forgiveness program
- Supporting Child Care Providers & Workers
- $11.5 million in increased support for child care providers and workers