18 - CAPE QAZETTE, Friday, May 2 - May 8, 2003
Gov. Minner discusses budget issues with resort chamber
By Karl Chalabala
Gov. Ruth Ann Minner ad-
dressed the Rehoboth Beach-
Dewey Beach Chamber of Com-
merce with her proposed fiscal
year (FY) 2004 budget April 23.
Minner faces a $300 million
deficit this year. Her proposed
budget includes $155 million in
budget cuts and $145 million in
additional tax revenue.
"The National Board of Gover-
nors will tell you we are facing the
worst recession since World War
II,'" she said. "States have cut
over $100 billion total." Minner
said she did not want to cut pro-
grams that benefit the poor, elder-
ly or children.
Her proposed budget includes a
$20 million Bond Bill to fix state
roads damaged by the intense
winter storms, a new motor vehi-
cle lane at the Department of Mo-
tor Vehicles (DMV) in George-
town and construction of the new
bridge over the Indian River Inlet.
"We have to work in that direc-
tion," Minner said. "It is impor-
tant to Sussex County."
She also proposed $600,000 to
subsidize farmers who purchase
crop insurance. With three of the
last four years being dry, includ-
ing last year's severe drought,
crop insurance will protect farm-
ers whose harvest fails. "We have
heard of saving farmland for
years, but what good is saving
farmland if there are no farmers
left to till it?" she asked.
For FY 2003 Minner made $200
million in cuts. Her fiscal year
2004 budget cuts come in the
form of structural changes within
the government.
"It is very diffieult to make
cuts," Minner said. "There are no
easy cuts and each budget cut is
more difficult than the last."
The structural changes include
elimination of 1 non-critical staff
positions. Critical staff positions
include prison guards and psychi-
atric hospital nurses. Minner pro-
DNREC
Continued from page 17
vestigation and has not decided
what, if any charges will be filed.
"More than likely we will seek
some type of restoration," said
Herr.
Even though Wien said he does-
Karl Chalabala photo
"When looking at state problems, people have a tendency not to notice the lower two coun-
ties," Gov. RuthAnn Minner said at the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce
Meeting April 23. Minner shared her fiscal year 2004 proposed budget with Chamber of Com-
merce members. Several budget proposals directly benefit Sussex County.
poses to extend the, current gov-
ernment hiring freeze - making
current positions that are vacant
permanently vacant. Also, man-
dated expenses for Homeland Se-
curity and other national security
issues raised total costs. "We
have met our obligations, but very
seriously, it has not been easy,"
she said.
Proposed tax increases include
a 17 percent raise incorporate
fees and taxes, the first increase :
since 1991. Delaware is unique .:
because of the number of compa- "
nes incorlmted here due tolegal :"
and tax advantages The majority
of those companies' physical loca-
tion is omewhere else. The 17
percent raise amounm m $89 mil-
lion in revenue. "We import tax
money," she said.
Minner also proposed raising
cigarette taxes from 24 cents to 50
can't afford all that stuff," he said.
"Funny how big corporations who
have unlimited funds seem to al-
ways work something out with
them. While we need someone to
protect the environment, Moyer is
over exuberant. I love the fact that
I have hundreds of birds out here -
that's why I moved here in the
in'st place. DNREC wants to make
n't agree with DNREC, he will everything fit into a cookie cutter
abide by the agency's decision, m01d but Mother Nature doesn't
,'It's hard for an individual to do work like that-each case is differ-
battle with DNREC because I ent." .
J
l g IBilaGENENT.UPTO fl114rkrf3
frmey ot
.hpetasam.Abt..
g F STATEmlwMTOmVICE -
cents per pack. .Surrounding state
cigarette taxes are $I per pack.
Last year cigarette tax collection
increased 18 percent. "We may
lose money, I was advised," Min-
ner said. "People may quit,
teenagers may not start, but that
money I am willing to lose."
Minner still faces political flak
due to her bill that outlawed pub-
lic smoking in Delaware.
Minner's proposed budget also
de-couples the state estate tax
from the federal estate tax onto
which it is currently piggy-
backed. President Bush made
lowering estate taxes a priority of
his economic stimulus program.
"If the fed makes a cut, we take a
cut," she said. Her proposed
budget exempts estates of up to
$1.5 million this year, from $1
million previously, with an in-
crease to $2 million in estate ex-
emption in 2006. Minner also
proposed to increase casino taxes
but allow them longer operating
hours to make them more compet-
itive.
In 2004 and 2005 Minner said
she will work to make govern-
ment more efficient. Keeping the
state's triple A bond rating in spite
of the recession will alSO be a pri-
ority. "Delaware is the National
Chamber of Commerce's number
one state," she said. ''The bond
rating is important to the counties
and municipalities." Triple A
bond rating is the best a state can
have - meaning it receives the
lowest interest rate on borrowed
money.
Minner said state economists
conferred with her about the re-
cession, advising her that it will
take a few years to pull out of it,
barring another outbreak like e
war with Iraq.
"Delaware was one of the last
states to see the economic down-
turn," she said. "It may be the last
state to see the upturn..There are
no quick fixes."
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee -
i Movingforward Planningahead :':
o
On Historic Guidelines
- "I believe wholeheartedly :"
in preserving the historic nature and character of Lewes, I favor an historic :"
": preservation program that satisfies defined publicly recognized historic "
: objectives - a program, which is legally defensible and not subjective." .."
i On Fiscal Matters- "I believe in taking a proactive stance i
i :
: on revenue management. A bond issue has to be considered and acted
upon quickly while interest rates are favorable."
t .
On the Board of Public Works-"0000mwo,k
for better and more open communications between the City Council. the
BPW and the citizens of Lewes."
On Saturday, May !0
Re-Elect Stephanie Tsantes,
-Lewes City
Co'uncOil,
o oee oe e ee ee e e' e'e 6 e e ee
