Sussex Co. unveils proposed budget for 2017

Tuesday morning, Sussex County administrators submitted their proposed 2017 fiscal year budget to the county council. The proposed budget for this year’s county budget is $119 million, that’s 3 million dollars less than last year’s budget. A major highlight this year is that there will be no increase to property taxes or sewer and water service charges. This year the County administrators tell 47 ABC they have cut nine million dollars from last year’s funding related to sewer and water projects. Administrators also tell us  they are not cutting down on projects,  but rather spreading out project budgets in a multi-year plan.

One of the main points of emphasis for officials in Sussex County in the newly proposed budget is public safety. Officials said they are looking to increase funding for county run services  like EMS and their dispatch center.

Todd Lawson, the Sussex County Administrator says,”We don’t provide a lot of services, but we provide services very well. So that’s focused on public safety and it’s what the residents and visitors come to expect.”

Lawson tells us in the proposed  $119 million dollar budget,  there is a 1.4 million dollar increase in county public safety since last year. Part of that  money  would go to getting new radios , new fleet vehicles to replace old ones that have high mileage, and a small percentage would be going to add four new positions in the county’s dispatch center and paramedic department .

Robbie Murray, the Operations Division Manager at Sussex County EMS says,
“From 2014 to 2015 they have seen an 11% increase in our overall responses to we are now over 23,000 responses per year.”

Murray tells us in the western part of the county paramedics from Bridgeville and Laurel have been working over-time  to cover that area. These new positions would help alleviate them and add someone dedicated to that part of the county.

“We want to be able to put a paramedic there in the daytime from 7AM to 7PM..7 days a week,” says Murray.

On June 21st the council will hold a public hearing so people can comment on the proposed budget.The council will then vote to adopt a budget by June 30th and it would take affect two days later on July 1st.

For the complete Sussex County proposed budget for 2017 click here.