[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6526730,"mediaKeyId","3755038-b12c22e5416d9f0aa3b96a7c3e5c389e","parentId",3755038,"title","Committee approves small council grants for Neighborhood House and amends Phoenix Family Resources grant","audioSeconds",306,"startMs",4296000,"endMs",4602000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3755038-b12c22e5416d9f0aa3b96a7c3e5c389e&start=4296&end=4602","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3755038-b12c22e5416d9f0aa3b96a7c3e5c389e/thumbnail_4296000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6526730/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Committee-approves-small-council-grants-for-Neighborhood-House-and-amends-Phoenix-Family-Resources-grant","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526730-15c8fdda0b91fdd9e725752d17a6cb6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775733944&Signature=SjiEZnx-sn7hiBG5BMCYQpNJhPBI-HCHhwMBWRJak-32nMelyKom9bevZK4cMdm1RoL9RkPy2cfckcOvJuvCeUEvBfuVoplACtHn9GH1bhOgMCaHkjRNFbglN6r8hCRpSyliBbMvnJCArQUEDKZmpeywhlJkQ-LYcuZNH~Eo8HbLedLoCHpU6YpY4n6odBzJAbJBoHz6gAzqGXHweQgsQ6KoJmKCEYpwe54hlry3icar0enkxCkfzd~0Uw6~YEcb0H~xDnLQY~mQkAkjml0HYsUB~lNIs6Bcpz8nMWhxoMQoDYH-ygwUdqsgrXLAjDgnDMDaeofZlBMRH9u6U8DQrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Castle County","date","2025-06-10T00:00:00Z","article","The Administrative Finance Committee approved two grant actions on June 10.

Councilman Carter moved to approve up to $2,500 for Neighborhood House Inc. to support rent and utility stabilization for low-income families. The motion allocated $2,000 from Councilman Carter’s account and $500 from Councilman Kevin Kaneko’s account; the committee approved the motion without recorded opposition.

In a separate action, the committee amended a previously approved grant for Phoenix Family Resources to change the allowable use so funds could cover an immediate truck repair needed for program operations. Council members stated the change met an urgent operational need and the amendment was approved.

Both actions were approved during the grants portion of the committee agenda and were recorded in the committee minutes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New Castle County - Administrative-Finance Committee - Jun 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee approved a $2,500 grant to Neighborhood House (split between two council accounts) and approved an amendment to an earlier grant to Phoenix Family Resources to allow immediate truck repair expenditures.","taxTitle","New Castle County, Delaware","taxId",12637,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6526735,"Committee reviews FY2026 budget measures: tax rate, sewer charges and operating and capital ordinances",264,3738000,4002000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3755038-b12c22e5416d9f0aa3b96a7c3e5c389e&start=3738&end=4002","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3755038-b12c22e5416d9f0aa3b96a7c3e5c389e/thumbnail_3738000.jpg","/articles/6526735/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Committee-reviews-FY2026-budget-measures-tax-rate-sewer-charges-and-operating-and-capital-ordinances","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526735-a27d4df190fa53db0dedeb5d47e552a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775733944&Signature=WpKLJQd7sOl9ugf9UBOl1x1p6RbdwbPQBqaYD2WS0ndJ~eaD~hV7I9w6QvaP4WnutKrH9ATDIdI3t-XqsL9mEHfgMfJ25Rd3loLyPBpv-8p6lbTeu~PfzXHA4mf3AtyJqIdO3pxLNt1ofgGVTsvCPw89oyyngY8geYRcnHh0IKbXzjPk56qwYWn56v0ev~mrIYc65~CLOmrCJ0BMUJiicjwi0FottqotdAS~rrQH1gKBeTA6gCyDuOLzVrHi3SqUwirQMftOAeWpvAEbUK79A5bhoRBKYII2PKK2NOG1U4WKxi-IjBIHzLA7Pgnqzs21U2SovukkPbyqD1BcdeSxbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Administrative Finance Committee reviewed several ordinances on June 10 related to the fiscal year 2026 operating and capital budgets, tax rates and sewer charges.

A substitute to the annual revenue ordinance (Ordinance 25-048) was presented; Councilman Smiley summarized proposed property tax rates following reassessment: a residential real-property tax rate of 15.75 cents per $100 of assessed value and a non-residential rate of 23.8 cents. Smiley described the rate as the “roll-back” tax rate in the substitute.

Ordinance 25-049 (sewer service charges for FY2026) keeps most sewer rates unchanged; the committee discussed a change in the equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) charge for the normal residential meter from $25 to $50 for a specified meter size change (four-inch to five-inch equivalent). Smiley said the EDU increase is limited to maintenance funds and reduces future bond dependence for sewer maintenance.

The committee also reviewed the capital budget ordinance and an ordinance authorizing issuance of general obligation bonds (related materials are part of the larger capital package discussed elsewhere in the meeting). Council members noted joint recommendations from land use and the planning board as required by county code.

Ordinance 25-053, a proposal to appropriate $3 million from the Tax Stabilization Reserve for a one-time fire service contingency, remained tabled; council members said they were working on amendment language to permit individual, per-company appropriations and planned to circulate the amended language in advance of the next meeting.

The transcript records committee review and discussion but does not include final committee votes on most ordinance items; the matters were presented for committee consideration and will proceed to the full County Council for final action.","Committee reviewed a package of FY2026 budget ordinances including a new residential real-property tax rate, sewer service charge adjustments and the operating and capital budgets; several items will move to full council for final action.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6526740,"Council reviews capital program, considers Human Capital Management upgrade as county prepares bond sale",676,2984000,3660000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3755038-b12c22e5416d9f0aa3b96a7c3e5c389e&start=2984&end=3660","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3755038-b12c22e5416d9f0aa3b96a7c3e5c389e/thumbnail_2984000.jpg","/articles/6526740/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Council-reviews-capital-program-considers-Human-Capital-Management-upgrade-as-county-prepares-bond-sale","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526740-42dbf5a66fd7b50a3ad66d87effa979b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775733944&Signature=FncFG2lEKYvSF~VjTGhtQtxbeHqm8cUWmd0AE6DQsjN9PzjKmfMivgXBPtwSRwJN1PCFKQBIY2a4Pzu4G9KyQaoET3HxBaQnBlTaaHXtaCGXd~KhPwuXQCiY68GsY2fUyhWIkWXlabf3r2hYUFCB9JiNDYlyQk3CK3UKvjDl-a2ii2NwBBUmAzWWVbrZ7cNtCQSF4kFxj5HBJukY0D1p~GaNMY5hI2ekJDOcIwIZN-fu34UrYxxrbe0Uh5fS-h~Rsf00kz7XCVmV623A9E5u2NmpxQPYjAZ2MoN~FS~GXUn86oXOfaLZuP3ciEoX-YkzOCmcA7CBp0eulV7HUdSoaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","New Castle County officials briefed the Administrative Finance Committee on the capital program and an associated technology project on June 10 as the county prepared to enter the municipal bond market.

Councilmember John Cartier and others reviewed a resolution authorizing the sale of up to $82 million in general obligation bonds to finance capital projects. Staff noted the county’s AAA bond rating and said the timing was favorable to borrow for planned projects.

A focused discussion followed on the Human Capital Management (HCM) platform included in the capital program. Dave Del Grama, chief of Technology and Administrative Services, described the county’s long-running effort to replace PeopleSoft, which the county has used for payroll and personnel records since the 1990s. Del Grama said maintaining PeopleSoft currently costs the county about $358,000 per year (licensing/maintenance and contracted support) and that reverting to Oracle support could raise annual costs further.

Del Grama told the committee that an earlier attempt to migrate PeopleSoft functions onto the county’s new Tyler Munis financial platform was halted under an earlier administration; work completed by the vendor was deleted after the project was frozen and the implementation would now need to essentially start over. The current proposal in the capital program allocates $600,000 over two years for planning, an RFP and project management to replace PeopleSoft and seek a modern HCM solution; Del Grama said the RFP would include options for public-facing features that could incorporate AI-assisted functionality.

Council members asked technical and procurement questions. Councilman Carter asked whether the county would move to a different relational database and how new software would integrate with existing systems; Del Grama replied the procurement (RFP) will determine the product and integration approach and that the RFP will return to council for review. Councilman Street asked how this bond issuance compared with previous bond sales; a council member later provided that the last bond sale in 2021 was $100 million.

No committee-level vote on issuing bonds or the capital program is recorded in the committee transcript; the matters were presented for committee review and will proceed to the full County Council as part of the capital and bond ordinance package.

Ending: County technology and budget staff said they will prepare an RFP and project-management plan and that the capital program and bond authorizing ordinances will move forward to the council for final action.","Committee discussed the county capital program, including an $82 million general obligation bond authorization and a $600,000 capital request to restart a Human Capital Management project to replace PeopleSoft.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6526745,"County councilors debate use of contingency funds to support Food Bank of Delaware and local nonprofits",2534,108000,2642000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3755038-b12c22e5416d9f0aa3b96a7c3e5c389e&start=108&end=2642","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3755038-b12c22e5416d9f0aa3b96a7c3e5c389e/thumbnail_108000.jpg","/articles/6526745/New-Castle-County/Delaware/County-councilors-debate-use-of-contingency-funds-to-support-Food-Bank-of-Delaware-and-local-nonprofits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526745-bf1714408230d0b48eafe78bb9bebbc8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775733944&Signature=ECbvd7hcXwQVsuD9Gl6Uh5dIpG9Fiaz7xcE2AXPIpVDla6RaSSYs~orbSAvgVlRu5EJ4t3d5hF7T5XWtRXJfAmne1g~sARDju~twLCpyTkTuOShLlWqE4nr7lKM4phsd0UC8yWhqp06lmyK9SAcX13e~UMoUAHQxsLlnZ0X~qjw1z8e7MSzISzM7XZPnaLpvS0mXluRiJR498yzoChW74IXeegYQkQ4WSOtZP~HpXlYz~lyM7Bmfm~dD7eXXm6KH8si4UCJALFoQAI0s-P9DkVHDzOVHzIFvwx0Z6TQqCsO9ucMUIrIvvF-OZa4uoO6w23meBrovsedAq-pV-I1FGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members discussed three separate resolutions on June 10 that would use New Castle County’s council contingency fund to make direct grants to local nonprofits.

Councilwoman Durham introduced Resolution 25-103, a request to allocate $25,000 from the County Council Contingency Fund to the Food Bank of Delaware, saying she moved the measure after federal food assistance was reduced and the Food Bank told council it lost roughly $1.1 million in federal support. “Food is a pretty basic need for all of our constituents,” Durham said.

Supporters, including Councilman Kevin Kaneko, said the Food Bank stepped up during the pandemic and still distributes millions of pounds of food to county residents. “They were there in our time of need. And now the Food Bank of Delaware is in a time of need,” Kaneko said, noting local distribution and partnerships with many county agencies.

Opponents warned that using the contingency fund in this way lacks a fair, competitive process and risks setting a precedent. Councilman Carter and Councilman Jay (last name used in transcript as Smiley) argued the contingency fund should be reserved for unforeseen county needs or be distributed through a transparent grant process. Carter noted the county is facing a structural shortfall and said diverting contingency dollars could undermine budget priorities. “If we’re gonna make money available to nonprofits, we have to fairly and equitably open it up to all nonprofits,” Carter said.

Council members extended those same concerns to two companion resolutions. Resolution 25-104 would allocate contingency funding to Good Neighbors Home Repair (request amount listed in committee discussion as $25,000). Councilman Tackett summarized program-level details provided by Good Neighbors, saying last year the organization assisted 136 families and that much of the client base is elderly or low-income; he described typical per-household repairs at roughly $5,000.

Resolution 25-105 would allocate contingency funding to Charity Crossing Inc.; the request amount was discussed in committee but recorded figures were inconsistent in the transcript. Supporters said Charity Crossing has used donated funds and volunteers to deliver food and backpacks countywide and that it runs without paid staff.

Chad Robinson, vice president of external affairs for the Food Bank of Delaware, addressed the committee during public comment and asked the council to approve the Food Bank allocation. He said federal cuts will force local agencies to serve more residents and that the Food Bank distributed more than 4 million pounds of food in New Castle County last year. “Food insecurity is at the root of many of the issues that you all are talking about,” Robinson told the committee.

The committee discussion repeatedly returned to two questions: whether use of contingency funds in this way was legally permissible and whether the council should adopt a formal, equitable application process for nonprofit grants. County attorneys and several council members confirmed the council has discretion under the existing appropriation for a contingency fund to make grants to outside organizations; opponents nevertheless urged a formal grant process and urged reserving contingency funds for unforeseen county liabilities.

No final vote on the three contingency resolutions is recorded in the committee transcript; members said the measures would proceed to the full County Council for a vote. Several council members said they will consider contributing from their individual council accounts if the contingency resolutions do not pass.

Effect and next steps: the committee recorded debate and public comment and referred the resolutions to a full council vote. Supporters asked the council to approve the immediate allocations to respond to food insecurity; opponents requested clearer selection criteria and stronger protections for county budget stability.

Ending: The committee moved on to other business after public comment; the transcript does not record final committee votes on the three contingency resolutions.","New Castle County council members debated three resolutions to allocate contingency funds to local nonprofits — Food Bank of Delaware, Good Neighbors Home Repair and Charity Crossing Inc. — with supporters citing urgent need and opponents warning of precedent and lack of transparent allocation criteria.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves small council grants for Neighborhood House and amends Phoenix Family Resources grant

Committee reviews FY2026 budget measures: tax rate, sewer charges and operating and capital ordinances

Council reviews capital program, considers Human Capital Management upgrade as county prepares bond sale

County councilors debate use of contingency funds to support Food Bank of Delaware and local nonprofits