County Council, May 26, 2026
Approves Recreational property tax exempt status - Wilmington Community Rowing Foundation (Resolution 26-109), 13-0
What happened
New Castle County Council adopted its FY2027 budget package on May 26, 2026, including the annual operating budget (Ordinance 26-038) on an 11-2 vote and the annual revenue ordinance (Ordinance 26-034) carrying a 17.2% county property tax increase on a 10-2 vote.
- Jurisdiction
- New Castle County, DE
- Governing body
- Final authority
- Date
- May 26, 2026
- Decisions
- 15 zoning decisions
- Outcome
- Approved, 13-0
Free sample: decision 1 of 15
FY2027 Annual Operating Budget (Ordinance 26-038)
Adopted the annual operating budget of New Castle County for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. Budget relies on borrowing roughly $18.4 million from reserves ($8M RTT reserve, $10.4M general fund tax stabilization reserve) and includes cuts to libraries (~11%), community services, and park staffing. Passed 11-2; Caneco and Tackett voted no. Required 10 votes.
The other decisions are listed below by title. The full write-up, verbatim conditions, and the audio at each vote are in Pro.
Meeting Summary
New Castle County Council adopted its FY2027 budget package on May 26, 2026, including the annual operating budget (Ordinance 26-038) on an 11-2 vote and the annual revenue ordinance (Ordinance 26-034) carrying a 17.2% county property tax increase on a 10-2 vote.
Key Decisions (15)
FY2027 Annual Operating Budget (Ordinance 26-038)
FY2027 Annual Revenue Ordinance (Ordinance 26-034) - 17.2% tax increase
Amendment 1 to Ordinance 26-038 - cut Project Seed funding
Amendment 2 to Ordinance 26-038 - cut CIT program
Amendment 3 to Ordinance 26-038 - unfund financial advisor position
Amend pay plan for administrative aide to county council (Ordinance 26-057)
GO Bond authorization for FY2027 capital projects (Ordinance 26-036)
FY2027 Capital Budget Ordinance (Ordinance 26-037)
FY2027-2032 Capital Program (Resolution 26-085)
Sewer service charges FY2027 (Ordinance 26-035)
Procedural rule amendment on public comment (Resolution 26-110)
Recreational property tax exempt status - Wilmington Community Rowing Foundation (Resolution 26-109)
Refund of overpayment of county taxes (Resolution 26-108)
Donated landscaping services for Holloway Terrace Park (Ordinance 26-054)
Cal Ripken Foundation Route 9 Library Grant (Ordinance 26-055)
Development Activity (3)
Holloway Terrace Park landscaping
Infrastructure
Cal Ripken Foundation Route 9 Library STEM Project
Other
New Castle County redevelopment code
Other
Market Signals (6)
Sentiment
Numerous residents and seniors testified that a 17.2% county tax…
Infrastructure
Council is pursuing energy concurrency guardrails requiring data centers to…
Housing Demand
Delaware foreclosures are reportedly at an all-time high, with multiple…
Who Spoke (20)
On the record: 9 councilmembers, the clerk, and 7 members of the public.
Meeting Intelligence Preview
Ask this meeting anything
Ask who voted, what conditions passed, and what staff recommended for "County Council - 2026-05-26", with every answer cited to the transcript. Included with Pro.
Learn about Meeting Q&AGet every New Castle County meeting with full decisions, votes, and zoning details, within hours of each session.
7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Just want to know when new New Castle County meetings are posted? Get free email alerts below.
Follow New Castle County
Get the agenda when a meeting is posted, plus decision and analysis alerts.
We'll email you an activation link — one click, no password, unsubscribe anytime.