GOP WISH LIST
OUTGOING GOP COUNCIL MEMBERS EYE $55M FOR COUNTY 911 RADIO, PARKING
As Delaware County Council considers a notax $358 million budget, the three departing incumbent GOP members would like to see the county invest
$55 million in the emergency communications radio system, the training facility for firefighters and in a parking lot and mini-park to benefit jurors and county employees.
In a letter dated Nov.
22 to County Clerk Ann Coogan, County Council Chairman John McBlain, Council Vice Chairman Colleen Morrone and Councilman Michael Culp laid out their reasoning for the expenditures, based largely on the solid health of the budget, as evidenced by Moody’s Investors Services’ annual evaluation of the county’s finances as well as other factors such as the
$500,000 growth in real estate tax revenues – accomplished without a tax increase – because of real estate growth and controlled spending in county departments.
The three Republicans, all of whom will be exiting County Council, stated that while revenue is expected to rise a little more than 1 percent, expenditures are estimated to increase at a little less than 1 percent.
They noted that county departments kept spending within 2.5 percent increases or decreases compared to last year and highlighted the Court of Common Pleas’ $56.7 million budget, one of the larger expenditure items, having a proposed increase of less than $100,000 for this year.
The letter also said that Delaware County experienced an “historic high” with a surplus of $10.6 million this past year. While the county has typically experienced surpluses, that amount was high. Comparably, the county’s standard is to have a minimum of 10 percent in its savings known as the fund balance. That would be roughly $25 million, the letter said, based on the $243 million figure for audited general revenues.
It also talked about how a portion of the fund balance has been used to balance the budget, although it said “(y) ear after year, .... the Fund Balance amounts budgeted as revenue are never touched and not used.”
The three council members continued, “Now, in planning for 2020, when our Fund Balance is at an historic high, over 260 percent of the recommended amount, and not having any audited deficits, we believe it fiscally responsible to our taxpayers to continue to budget the use of the Fund Balance as revenue.”
In their opinion, the alternative is raising the real estate tax. At Wednesday’s council meeting, other council members and county officials also said reducing expenses is an option.
The letter also talked about the potential cost of living increase for the county’s pension recipients, with the last raise in 2005. They said such an increase would be $320,000 to $350,000.
Ending their analysis, they made the three recommendations.
In July 2018, a 48-footlong concrete panel separated from its welds in the parking garage formerly next to the courthouse. That caused the garage and the adjacent Sweeney and Toal buildings to be closed and eventually demolished. Since then, county employees have been scattered to other locations and county employee spaces beneath the Government Center are now offered to jurors.
The Republican council members have suggested turning the demolished site into a parking lot for jurors and allowing the employees to return to their spaces. There also could be space for a mini-park. They said the cost of this would be $1 million, as opposed to the $53 million that was proposed for the replacement of the Orange Street complex. That project remained dormant because of the inability of council to reach consensus, the cost itself and issues of obtaining approval from Media Borough.
“If future councils decide to pursue such strategy, the estimated $53 million price tag would be significantly lowered,” McBlain, Morrone and Culp wrote.
They also recommended fully funding the $50 million purchase of thousands of digital radios for municipalities, fire companies and EMS providers. The letter states that $20 million had been allocated in the capital spending plan for 20202024 and that grant funding may be available for this.
Finally, they noted that the training facility in Darby Township for the county’s firefighters included a Burn Building, which would simulate various active fire conditions. That structure has since been declared structurally deficient and was authorized this year for demolition.
“This is an important tool for the training of firefighters and must be replaced,” they wrote. “We would recommend a planned contribution of $2-4 million towards this important project.”
The full council is expected to vote upon the budget at Wednesday’s 10 a.m. meeting in the County Council Meeting Room in the Government Center at 201 W. Front St. in Media.
It will be the final council meeting for the three Republican members, who will vote along with Democrats Kevin Madden and Brian Zidek. McBlain and Morrone both served two terms; Culp opted not to seek re-election.
Democrats swept all three council seats on the November ballot. Elaine Schaefer, Christine Reuther and Monica Taylor will join Madden and Zidek in January, creating a 5-0 majority for Democrats on County Council.