Delaware’s IT Department Is In Crisis–And No One Is Holding Them Accountable

Guest Post From An Anonymous IT Insider:

Technology is more critical than ever in shaping government services. But what is Delaware’s state technology agency, DTI, doing?
Unlike Delaware, states like Maryland, Washington, Vermont, and California use public-facing dashboards to track IT project performance and spending, ensuring transparency and accountability. Meanwhile, Delaware’s DTI operates behind closed doors. Even flagship initiatives like the GoDE Centralized Government Services Access Portal and the Delaware Broadband Initiative appear to have been pushed onto DTI by previous administrations or federal mandates, raising concerns about whether the agency has any proactive strategy for innovation.
________________________________________
A State-Mandated IT Monopoly That Rewards Inefficiency

Delaware law grants DTI a monopoly over IT services for all state agencies (Title 29, Chapter 90C), forcing agencies to rely solely on DTI, regardless of quality, price, or efficiency. Unlike private-sector tech firms that must compete to innovate, DTI has no competition, leading to outdated solutions that hurt taxpayers and state agencies alike.

State school systems frequently experience decreased internet bandwidth, harming student learning, while agencies report slow, unreliable systems that frustrate both staff and the public. Yet, agencies have no alternatives—they must accept whatever DTI provides, no matter how poor the service.

Delaware has no such accountability mechanism, leaving DTI’s failures hidden from public scrutiny.
________________________________________
Forcing Some Agencies to Pay for Services They Never Agreed To

One of the most glaring examples of DTI’s mismanagement is the 2024 SEUS (Secure End User Services) cost recovery initiative, which blindsided state agencies with retroactive contracts. Agencies were billed for services they never explicitly agreed to, with pricing so inaccurate that even Legislative Hall refused to sign.

When agencies resisted, DTI leadership ordered aggressive follow-ups, pressuring them for months. Many 2024 contracts remain unsigned, eroding trust in DTI’s leadership.
This isn’t just poor management—it’s a misuse of taxpayer funds and a breach of trust.
________________________________________
Deeper Than Inefficiency: A Culture of Cronyism, Retaliation & Employee Mismanagement

DTI’s issues go beyond inefficiency. The department fosters a toxic culture that prioritizes insider connections over competence and punishes those who advocate for agencies.
• A director-level position was recently filled without being posted publicly, going to the wife of DTI’s Chief Operating Officer (COO).
• Another senior leadership role was handed to someone with less than a year in a prior DTI position, bypassing any competitive hiring process.
• The Office of Partner Services, created by a former CIO, saw his brother-in-law appointed as Chief while the division churned through three directors and multiple managers in just five years.

One long-time DTI employee with 30 years of institutional knowledge returned from PTO expecting to handle urgent agency requests—only to be ordered to work on an internal PowerPoint presentation for a leadership retreat six weeks away. When the employee pushed back, asking to prioritize customer needs over an internal project, they were severely reprimanded. Within a week, they retired rather than endure further retaliation for putting Delaware’s agencies first.
DTI should serve agencies and citizens, but instead, it prioritizes politics over service. Instead, it has become an organization that rewards political loyalty and discourages innovation.
________________________________________
Why This Matters Now—JFC Hearings Begin February 13th

The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) is Delaware’s most powerful legislative budget committee, responsible for reviewing and approving funding for all state agencies. With JFC hearings beginning on February 13th, lawmakers have a rare opportunity to demand accountability from DTI.
JFC must demand answers about why agencies were forced into retroactive contracts, why alternatives to DTI’s inefficiencies don’t exist, and why insider hiring remains unchecked.
• Why DTI forced agencies into retroactive IT contracts with inflated pricing.
• Why state agencies have no alternatives to DTI’s inefficient services.
• Why cronyism and insider hiring remain unaddressed.
If Delaware’s new progressive governor, Matt Meyer, is serious about reforming state government, DTI should be the first agency to undergo a deep review. Gov. Meyer has pledged to bring transparency and accountability to state operations. That effort must start with Delaware’s IT department, which interacts with every other agency and directly impacts the quality of public services.
________________________________________
Delaware’s IT Future Depends on Action Now

DTI isn’t just another state agency—it’s the backbone of how Delaware runs its government. Yet instead of leading innovation, DTI has become an unaccountable bureaucracy that hinders progress.
If Delaware wants to be a leader in technology and digital government, we need to fix DTI first.

I recently mailed a physical letter to each member of the Delaware General Assembly, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, the Governor’s Office, and the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources outlining the issues described in this op-ed along with specific oversight recommendations. I am writing this publicly to ensure that legislators—many of whom have connections to DTI leadership—are held accountable for addressing these problems instead of ignoring them.
The time for silence is over.

An Anonymous DTI Insider