DOVER, Del. (AP) - The legislature's budget writing committee has unanimously approved a pay raise for most state employees despite a $41 million gap between projected revenue and Gov. Jack Markell's spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1.
Joint Finance Committee members on Tuesday voted to approve a $500 pay increase for most state employees effective Jan. 1. Overall personnel costs, including increased pension contributions and adjustments to teacher pay, would increase by about $22 million over the current year.
That's less than the roughly $33 million in additional personnel costs in Markell's budget proposal, which called for a 1 percent pay raise for state employees starting July 1.
Administration officials are trimming Markell's budget request by about $37 million, which still would leave lawmakers with a $14 million gap to close.
