Proposed FY 2019 Sussex County Budget Unveiled

Sussex County Council was presented the proposed $177-million FY 2019 budget. The budget includes no increase in the county property tax, however there are proposed increases for the water and sewer taxes and a proposed decrease in fees for documents from the Register of Deeds office.

The proposed budget is an increase of $5.4-million over the current budget – it includes increased spending for public safety and the pension contribution, a 2% COLA increase and spending for the sports complex loan, land preservation and emergency housing repairs.

Click here to find the budget presentation and the numbers.   A public hearing on the proposed FY 2019 Sussex County Budget will be held on Tuesday, June 19.

In other Council business, the County offices will be closed Monday for Memorial Day and there will be no County Council meeting on Tuesday, May 29.

A public hearing was held on amending the County Code by deleting Chapter 110 and amending and restating the chapter in its entirety.  The council approved the Code amendment with a unanimous vote.

In the afternoon session, the council heard two conditional use applications.  CU 2125 is for Cordrey Farms, LLC and would grand a conditional use of just over 10 acres for a landscape business, sale and storage on Cordrey Road east of Millsboro.  This property is across the street from the existing East Coast Perennials business also owned by the family.  The conditional use was approved with a 5 to 0 vote.

A vote on the second conditional use application – for an agricultural educational facility with a commercial kitchen on Hudson Road near the Cripple Creek development – was deferred by the council.  There has not yet been a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission.  However, attorneys for both bodies are investigating covenants for the development to see how the applicant may or may not be restricted in her plans.  Several people spoke during the public hearing both for and against the application.  The council will revisit this at a later date.