DL Open Thread: Wednesday, May 27, 2026

NCC Property Taxes To Rise:

New Castle County residents will see their first direct county property tax increase in eight years after their county council passed a $387.6 million budget Tuesday night.

The tax increase works out to $102/year, or $8.50/month for those living in the median $378,000 assessed value home in the county.

Residents may have seen the county portion of their property tax increase last year, as a result of the recent property value reassessment, but the county was entirely revenue-neutral, meaning any money a resident may be paying is being offset by another property paying less.

The Operating Budget of $387.6 million is a 4.39% increase from last year, which saw its own 5.9% increase from 2024.

There are cuts in the budget, including community programs such as Sleep Under the Stars at Carousel Park, and County Councilman David Carter pointing out that there’s a 10% reduction in library staff with reduced service hours, and the parks department will have five fewer employees, at a time a new major park is coming online.

“I’m really worried about our departments are going to be able to maintain the Southern Park and the areas down there without that staff.”

While I’m not the biggest fan of Marcus Henry, he’s right about one thing:  Matt Meyer left this mess on his doorstep.  Deliberately.  Henry’s taking the only fiscally-responsible approach he can to address it.

State To Pony Up An Additional $110 Mill For Port From Taxpayers?:

Delaware officials intend to close a funding gap for their ambitious but controversial plan to build a new port in Edgemoor with the help of an extra $110 million from the state.

During a meeting Friday of a state board that oversees the Port of Wilmington, Delaware Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez said the new taxpayer money would join a mix of federal and private dollars intended to close a budget shortfall facing the long-delayed Edgemoor construction project.

Under the cost sharing plan announced Friday, the federal government would contribute an additional $69 million to the project, while Enstructure would invest another $75 million.

Delaware would provide the remaining $110 million needed to close the funding gap.

But state officials declined to say publicly where the additional taxpayer money would come from.

Patibanda-Sanchez said a funding source had been identified but she declined to name it. She said the responsibility to appropriate state dollars sits with the state legislature. 

Asked for details about the source of the new Edgemoor money, a spokeswoman for the Senate Democrats said in a written statement that budget negotiations for all state government operations are ongoing, noting that about a month remains in this year’s legislative session. 

“But lawmakers remain committed to getting shovels into the ground on the Delaware Container Terminal Project and will consider all options to fund this critical infrastructure project that will bring thousands of jobs to the First State,” the spokeswoman, Sarah Fulton, said.

Questions about the state’s financial commitment also surfaced on Friday during a separate meeting of another port oversight committee, led by state lawmakers.

During the meeting, Mike Houghton, a longtime Delaware finance official and private attorney, asked the state’s port director Brian Devine how the Meyer administration intended to pay for the Edgemoor construction.

Devine said the funding source “is still being finalized,” but acknowledged that the administration had already discussed a financing framework with lawmakers during an executive session meeting that was closed to the public.

“I’m not in a position to be able to share that at this time,” Devine said.

This, to put a not-too-fine spin on it, is Delaware Way bullshit.  The insiders uttering this mush KNOW what the proposed source is, but won’t say.  Because they don’t think you are entitled to an explanation.  Just as long as you pay up.

Why Paxton’s Win In Texas Hurts Rethugs In Two Ways.  Not only does it legitimately put Texas in play for November:

For much of Mr. Trump’s second term, Republicans have eaten just about whatever Mr. Trump has been serving.

But Senate Republicans started to object in recent weeks to at least some of Mr. Trump’s more self-indulgent moves, including his push for security funding for his White House ballroom and a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund to reward those — presumably his allies — who say they were victims of political persecution. The president’s successful push to oust Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and now Mr. Cornyn, who for years served in leadership and is popular among many colleagues, has only added to the ranks of Republican senators who now feel less inclined — or incentivized — to side with the president.

Senator Thom Tillis, a retiring Republican from North Carolina, is among those who appear increasingly unshackled. He mocked Mr. Paxton’s troubled past over the weekend on CNN in colorful fashion, invoking a comparison to a cannibalistic serial killer. “To call Paxton ethically challenged is to call Jeffrey Dahmer suffering from an eating disorder,” Mr. Tillis said. “This guy is an empty suit.”

With just 53 Republicans in the Senate, it takes only a few senators to derail almost any vote.

Right. And any senator who needs support from D’s and independents, like Collins of Maine, Sullivan of Alaska, and Husted of Ohio, among others, are also ‘disincentivized’ to back Trump.  Then you’ve got Murkowski and Rand Paul, among others, who have basically had it with Trump.

RFK Jr. As Snake-Handler.  No word on how many bottles of Miracle Elixir he sold at this performance.

‘The Weigh-In Will Be Conducted At The Lincoln Memorial.’  Satire is dead:

Celebrities invited to President Donald Trump’s UFC fight card at the White House on June 14 include actor-comedian Adam Sandler, ex-NFL great Tom Brady, pro wrestler-turned-action hero Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Access Hollywood” host Mario Lopez, actor Jared Leto, big-screen badass Jason Statham and director Guy Ritchie, Time reported on Tuesday.

The event falls on Trump’s 80th birthday and is also intended as an early celebration for the country’s birthday.

Those seven men made UFC boss Dana White’s guest list. The White House and sports firm TKO will be adding names as well, Time wrote. Meanwhile, 1,200 of the 4,300 seats in the temporary arena being built on the South Lawn will go to service members.

The nearby Ellipse viewing party and fan fest can accommodate up to 85,000 fans, White told Trump in the Time article.

The weigh-in will be conducted at the Lincoln Memorial, The New York Times reported.

What do you want to talk about?