Delaware State News | by Matt Bittle
DOVER — The governor on Saturday signed an executive order focused on limiting budget growth, although the directive does not bind legislators.
Based off recommendations issued last month by an advisory panel on budgeting, the order instructs the council that sets the state’s revenue forecast to develop a benchmark aimed at slowing the growth of the budget by setting aside revenue that, if expended, would cause the spending plan to pass a certain point.
The decree comes after a constitutional amendment that would have essentially accomplished the same thing failed to advance through the General Assembly, primarily due to opposition from Democratic lawmakers, members of the governor’s own party.
While the administration hopes to use the executive order to end the cycle of boom and bust that has plagued decision-makers over much of the past decade, it is ultimately advisory, meaning the General Assembly can choose to completely ignore the limit and expend beyond what the benchmark calls for.
Asked if the idea behind the order was to put political pressure on legislators, Gov. Carney, who has made budget reform his main priority, did not deny it.
“Well, the intent is to lead, to say to the public that this is the way we ought to do it, this is a better way,” he said. “It protects our priorities in down cycles better than our current system. Our current system in some ways creates an incentive to appropriate into a bubble because it allows us to do so.”
Under the executive order, the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council will be tasked with developing an “index” based on the three-year average of the state’s personal income and population growth, as well as inflation on government goods and services.
From there, the council will create a spending limit the governor’s proposed budget, unveiled in January every year and used by lawmakers as the basis for the eventual final spending plan, will adhere to.
Should revenue totals exceed the benchmark, the extra money would be set aside in a new fund. In years where revenue falls short of the level, the stabilization fund could be accessed.
But while the governor firmly believes the plan is what is right for Delaware, it remains to be seen if the Joint Finance Committee stays under the benchmark.
“I don’t think we need to place artificial constraints when we’re proven that we” are responsible, JFC co-chair Sen. Harris McDowell, D-Wilmington, said.
Legislators imposed some fiscal controls on themselves this year, setting $46.7 million aside for next year to avoid building too much into the budget and potentially creating an obstacle next year. The General Assembly typically allocates 98 percent of revenue, holding tens of millions in case of a financial emergency. This year, with revenue collections booming, legislators budgeted at 97 percent, a decision roundly applauded by state officials.
The executive order came as a surprise to both Democrats and Republicans, with lawmakers being excluded from the news conference detailing the decree and at least some not even being aware of the exact details of the announcement at first.
“Well, I just saw it a couple minutes ago but I’m just going to go back that the last 10 years we’ve been fiscally responsible, that we’ve kept our budget under 3 percent growth (per year on average) and this year we’ve been very responsible with moving it from 98 percent from 97 percent, and we’ve put money aside,” House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, said.
“So, we’ve been pretty fiscally responsible, so we’re going to continue down that path, and the governor has his budget and every year the governor always proposes a budget, so that’s what I guess he’s going to do again.”
An actual smoothing fund, as called for by the task force and detailed in House Bill 460, would be the biggest change to Delaware budgeting in more than 35 years. While House Bill 460 had bipartisan support, it was also opposed by some of the General Assembly’s most powerful Democrats.
Republicans, in contrast, strongly supported the plan: 23 of the Legislature’s 26 GOP lawmakers cosponsored the bill.
Both the House and Senate Republican caucuses applauded Gov. Carney’s intent Saturday after the details were released, although their comments differed in focus.
“Times have changed and our state needs to change with them. Twice in the last eight years, Delaware experienced the largest budgetary shortfalls in its history. We have also witnessed windfalls during this span,” House Minority Leader Danny Short, R-Seaford, said in a statement. “These boom-and-bust cycles are indicative of basic flaws inherent in our system — weaknesses House Bill 460 was specifically designed to correct.
“The governor’s Executive Order 21, which seeks to implement some of House Bill 460’s reforms, is well intentioned. However, such an order is binding only on the executive branch and will not prevent the General Assembly’s majority budget writers from disregarding it.
“The General Assembly’s leadership has failed in its obligations to our citizens and has squandered a prime opportunity to alter our financial processes in a way that would have provided more predictability, accountability, and stability for state government and the citizens it serves.”
Senate Republican leadership said “there is no question that the Governor gets it,” although Minority Leader Gary Simpson, R-Milford, and Minority Whip Greg Lavelle, R-Sharpley, lamented spending in the fiscal year started today increased by almost 10 percent over last year. However, that calculation is misleading, as it includes the $816M bond bill, the highest capital spending plan in 13 years.
The operating budget for the new fiscal year rose by 3.99 percent — 5.21 percent including $49 million in one-time funding passed through a separate bill.
The harshest criticism of the governor’s declaration came from a fellow Democrat: Never one to shy away from controversy, Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark, blasted Gov. Carney, calling the executive order a “blatantly disrespectful attempt to abrogate power from the legislature.”
“In a dramatic example of a petulant personality that cannot get his way (HB460) through the legitimate legislative process, Governor Carney has chosen to emulate a Trumpian tactic that shows a healthy disdain for democratic principles of separation of powers,” he said in a statement.