Supervisors Adopt 2024 Budget Below Tax Cap

Some Salary Increases Opposed

By Mary A. Crisafulli

DELHI - Delaware County supervisors adopted the 2024 budget of $120,872,577 on Nov. 21. The adopted budget is a $10,763,927 increase from 2023. The tax levy of $34,867,501 is roughly a 1.9% increase from 2023 which remains under the federally mandated 2% minimum. The total general budget is $6,600,000, a $3,045,000 increase from 2023.

Union contract negotiations for employees resulted in a 4.25% salary increase and employee health insurance went up 9%. Employee contributions to health insurance were decreased to 15% from 20%. The county made the decision to decrease the contributions as a way to help retention and recruitment efforts.

One adjustment to the 2024 budget was to discontinue funding for vacancies. The positions will remain open and the county will continue to advertise to fill them. If a candidate is hired supervisors will have to approve a budget transfer from contingency funding for the employee's salary. This will help avoid budget inflation experienced in 2023, explained Colchester Supervisor and Budget Director Arthur Merrill.

The 2024 budget is available for the public to view at delcony.us/budgets.

Supervisors also approved several salary increases on Nov. 21 to commence in 2024. Increases include:

Sheriff Craig DuMond, $104,609 annually, a $4,187 increase.
County Treasurer Beverly Shields, $81,127 annually, a $3,308 increase.
County Clerk Deborah Goodrich, $81,127 annually, a $3,308 increase.
Director of Veterans Service Agency Mark Dunlop, $55,845 annually.
Commissioner of Social Services Sylvia Armanno, $114,056 annually, a $7,648 increase.
Director of Real Property Tax Services II Sherri Falcone, $90,000 annually, a $7,808 increase.
Commissioner of Public Works James Thomas, $115,515 annually, a $4,908 increase.
Public Health Director Amanda Walsh, $113,654 annually, a $5,092 increase.
Public Defender Joseph Ermeti, $187,650 annually, a $47,650 increase from 2022.
Personnel Officer Carrara Knoetgen, $90,832 annually, a $5,101 increase.
Director Office for the Aging Wayne Shepard, $85,377 annually, a $3,480 increase.
Director of Information Technology Joseph deMauro, $98,124 annually, a $4,000 increase.
Director of Emergency Services Stephen Hood, $74,724 annually, a $3,026 increase.
Democratic Election Commissioner Judith Garrison, $60,000 annually, a $4,748 increase.
Director Community Mental Health Douglas Elston, $108,061 annually, a $5,755 increase.

Hamden Supervisor Wayne Marshfield and Walton Supervisor Joseph Cetta voted against the salary increase for Real Property Tax Director Sherri Falcone. According to Marshfield, all salary growths are a 4.25% increase except for Falcone's which is a 9% increase, which is why he opposed it.

Marshfield also opposed the salary increase for Public Defender Joe Ermeti. Marshfield said he opposed the nearly $40,000 increase to Ermeti's salary in 2022 which brought his salary to roughly $140,000. "His (Ermeti's) raise was not mandated by the state like the district attorney and judges (salaries) are," explained Marshfield. Supervisors increased the public defender's salary to even it with the district attorney payscale of roughly $200,000. Supervisors suspect the state will mandate such an increase for public defenders in the future.

Colchester Supervisor Arthur Merrill and Andes Supervisor Wayland Gladstone were absent on Nov. 21.

The next Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m.