This spending increase has been driven by the executive branch, as demonstrated below. It is time for the Delaware General Assembly to commit to executing its "constitutional duty" and take the lead in setting and overseeing Delaware's executive branch.

Who's In Charge Here? The Delaware General Assembly Relinquishes Fiscal Oversight.

Both the US Constitution's and Delaware Constitution's first sections introduce the legislative branch - the most important branch of government because the legislature is the representative of the people and is charged with creating the state's annual budget and public policies.

However, the Delaware legislature has relinquished these core powers to Delaware's executive branch. The Office of the Controller General (OCG), which oversees budgetary items on behalf of the legislature, has only 12 staff positions budgeted vs. 15 positions budgeted in the FY2003 budget twenty years ago. In addition, spending increases have trailed inflation.

But while the OCG stagnates, spending on the Governor's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has grown by 387.8% and staffing by 464.7% -- some of the most rapid increases in the entire budget.

(Graph "Baseline":  Any spending increases above 88.6% represent a real increase in spending. Any spending below 88.6% represents a real decrease in spending. 

Graph Source: Author's own calculations using 2003-2023 data from Delaware's Office of Development & Planning- Budget Bills Section 1.)

Note that the OCG and OMB serve similar roles, but for different government branches. Oddly, the current budget mandates over 90 times that both offices conduct joint oversight actions. With the staffing differences, it is clear that OMB is leading the oversight activity with the Delaware General Assembly playing a minor, perhaps even non-existent, role.

We Don't Need No Stinkin' Audits.

Discounting for the moment that the Delaware State Auditor was found guilty of hiring her daughter and directing spending to a preferred vendor (Note: Placing a family member in a government job occurs regularly in the State).

Delaware needs a strong auditor to be a "watchdog" on state spending and accounting procedures.

As mentioned earlier, the Delaware General Assembly provides minimal oversight through the Office of the Controller General. Having an independently elected auditor to occupy this role would be ideal because "someone" needs to be a "check" on Delaware's executive branch.

(Graph "Baseline": Any spending increases above 88.6% represent a real increase in spending. Any spending below 88.6% represents a real decrease in spending. 

Graph Source: Author's own calculations using 2003-2023 data from Delaware's Office of Development & Planning- Budget Bills Section 1.)

However, the auditor cannot actually conduct audits in Delaware, given the Department's staff has been reduced by almost 50% over the last 20 years, along with a significant reduction in real spending power. Functionally, there is no Auditor in Delaware, and there should be.

The Incorporation Capital? Humbug! Starve the Judiciary.

(Graph "Baseline": Any spending increases above 88.6% represent a real increase in spending. Any spending below 88.6% represents a real decrease in spending. 

Graph Source: Author's own calculations using 2003-2023 data from Delaware's Office of Development & Planning- Budget Bills Section 1.)

Roughly 40-50% of government revenues come from the state's status as the "Incorporation Capital of the Country." In addition, the "non-business" courts (for example, Justice of the Peace or Family Courts) interact with Delawareans under high-stress circumstances. Furthermore, as Delaware's population has grown, so has the need for the Superior Court's growth.

Yet, in real dollars, the Governor and Delaware General Assembly have reduced spending in Delaware courts over the last 20 years. This poor allocation of resources makes no sense. There are still computer systems in the judicial branch that are text-based with antiquated functionality; some staff are paid less than $30,000 per year, leaving key support positions unfilled.

Frankly, the starving of Delaware's judicial branch is an embarrassing treatment of the third "co-equal" branch of government.

Who You Gonna Call? Capitol Police!

Crime is a critical issue in the country and in Delaware. Yet the Delaware State Police's budget is smaller in real terms than it was 20 years ago. But have no fear; the Delaware legislature is well-protected, having increased the budget of the Delaware Capitol Police by over 200% over the same period. CRI believes in funding all police. The state's population is 26.3% larger today, but the Delaware State Police spending has not kept pace.

Delaware School District Operating Costs up 200%. Educational results remain unchanged.

Every year, Delaware governors and legislators have touted increases in educational spending - more for specialists, counselors, or wages. For the last 20 years, school district operations have been larded up with more money and more administrators (and more regulations). Compared with 20 years ago, district operational expenses are up 193.4%, and staffing is up almost 50%.

Yet, as the graph below shows, educational achievement is unchanged over this period (and this data is pre-COVID, so it will likely be worse when updated). Most of the increased spending on district operations has been a waste.

(Graph Source: Author's own calculations using 2003-2019 data from The National Center for Education Statistics.)

Summary & Recommendation

With notable exceptions (e.g., fiscal oversight and our courts), Delaware's spending continues to rocket higher - faster than the state's underlying economic and population conditions warrant. If this aggressively higher spending improved operating results, CRI could support the growth. However, in almost every case, the increased spending has failed to make meaningful improvements in outcomes.

CRI recommends the Delaware General Assembly conduct a "zero-based" budget review of ALL state spending for 2023-2024 and to exercise its "constitutional duty" to set and oversee state policy priorities.

(Additional Sources: *2000 & 2022 Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. **2000 & 2022 US Census Bureau.)