We know the Delaware state budget is $4.45 billion as it was passed and signed June 25 for the next year. We are fairly confident these monies will be accounted for since there is a procedure in place for this action.
With the CARES Act passed earlier this year, according to the Federal Coronavirus Aid to States and Localities Under the CARES Act (taxfoundation.org), website we learn the following monies were provided to Delaware and New Castle County:
Delaware Total Allocation $1,250,000,000
State Share $927,233,331
New Castle County $322,766,669
Now, I haven’t read the fine print of the bill but wonder how these monies are accounted for after this year. We are, after all, talking monies that are 25 percent of the state budget just given to the governor and New Castle County Executive. I guess all year when the governor announces he is giving $X million here or $Y million there, it is really our taxpayer money he is handing out? If New Castle got that much, how come Kent and Sussex didn’t get to determine where some monies should go? Or ask Messrs. Coons and Carper.
There is a tremendous temptation to not use this money properly, especially if one doesn’t need to account for the spending. Don’t we deserve to know how every penny is spent? If we did, perhaps in the future there would be more given directly to the people and less being funneled through state and local governments. The news media, including Cape Gazette, should take over the effort and ask them to account for all of these monies while small businesses and sections of our people are doing without?
Robert J. Frost
Lewes
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