New Castle County Council approves FY2026 operating and capital budgets, sets 2026 tax rates and authorizes bond sales

New Castle County Council on June 10 adopted its FY2026 operating and capital budgets, set next year's property tax rates and approved several bond authorizations and grant appropriations, voting on a slate of ordinances and resolutions that council leaders said fund public works, parks, housing and public-safety projects.

The council voted 13-0 to approve the annual operating budget (Ordinance 25-052) and the capital budget (Ordinance 25-051). Council members also approved Substitute No. 1 to Ordinance 25-048, the annual revenue ordinance, which sets the 2026 residential real-property tax rate at 15.75 cents per $100 of assessed value and the nonresidential real-property tax rate at 23.8 cents per $100.

Why it matters: the operating and capital budgets together determine county spending priorities for the coming fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and the revenue ordinance establishes the levy that will fund many of those projects.

Most contested and notable votes - Ordinance 25-052 (FY2026 operating budget): approved 13-0 on roll call. - Ordinance 25-051 (FY2026 capital budget): approved 13-0 on roll call. - Substitute No. 1 to Ordinance 25-048 (annual revenue ordinance): approved 13-0 on roll call; sets residential tax rate at 15.75 cents per $100 and nonresidential at 23.8 cents per $100. - Ordinance 25-050 (authorization of general obligation bonds for FY2026 capital projects): approved 13-0; total authorizations reported in the meeting: $71,906,000. - Resolution 25-106…