Meyer talks priorities

Although not yet sworn in as governor, Matt Meyer said his top priorities when he takes office will be education, housing and healthcare.

“You have an obligation to make sure kids are getting a quality education, healthcare, housing,” he said during a Jan. 8 Spotlight Delaware Legislative Summit held at Delaware State University.

Former Gov. John Carney recently issued his last proposed budget, topping $7 billion with another $1 billion for capital projects through the bond bill.

Meyer said he’ll probably keep most of Carney’s recommended budget, but there will be changes.

Throughout his administration, Carney built a budget-stabilization fund – now at more than $450 million – to tap into in case of an economic downturn and drop in revenues. This is in addition to millions of dollars in a rainy day fund that was created in the 1970s and has never been used.

Meyer said while it’s important to be fiscally conservative, he also believes that taxpayers should pay taxes on actual spending, not for reserves.

“I’m not a big fan of collecting excess revenue and stocking it away for a rainy day,” he said. “I have hesitations doing that when it is a rainy day in a lot of corners in this state … it’s a rainy day if you can’t afford childcare; it’s a rainy day if your kids aren’t reading and can’t get any additional assistance.

“When residents of the state send us their taxes and when we get fees, we have an obligation to spend it in a very responsible way, in an efficient way. If we’re going to hold onto it, I’d rather have you hold onto it.”

Meyer’s final budget as New Castle County executive had no new taxes or fees.

Recent Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council revenue projections are about $6.7 billion for fiscal year 2026 and $6.8 billion in FY2027, and Meyer acknowledged a downturn could happen, and recently elected legislators have never experienced a budget deficit.

“We’ve gone through a pretty good stretch of prosperity, where most of the Legislature’s fights are about where to spend these additional resources,” he said. “There is some concern that if [a budget deficit] comes in the next four years, it’s going to be really hard. There are a lot of people around the table who haven’t experienced that before. Who are used to going to OMB, to the budget office, and making their demands for this program and that program.”