Executive Order Number Forty-Two Creating The K Force On Financial Options For The City Of Wilmington
WHEREAS, since assuming office in January 2001, Mayor James M. Baker has taken a series of responsible actions to improve the finances of the City of Wilmington; and
WHEREAS, last year Mayor Baker asked the members of the Wilmington Economic and Financial Advisory Council (WEFAC) to work with the nationally recognized municipal strategic consulting firm Public Financial Management (PFM) to conduct an independent review of the City’s finances; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Baker and City Council President Theodore Blunt have received the findings of the WEFAC/PFM study which include a five-year financial forecast for the City and a series of potential revenue generation options; and
WHEREAS, the WEFAC/PFM report finds that “…strong local action has both contained the City’s costs and increased its locally generated revenues. Nonetheless, Wilmington’s future holds budgetary crisis if joint State and City solutions are not found in the months ahead.”; and
WHEREAS, the state of Wilmington’s finances should be addressed in a timely fashion;
I, RUTH ANN MINNER, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, DO HEREBY ORDER ON THE 31ST DAY OF MARCH 2003:
1. The Task Force on Financial Options for the City of Wilmington is hereby created.
2. The Task Force shall report to me, the Delaware General Assembly, and the Mayor and City Council of Wilmington by no later than May 30, 2003 with specific recommendations for broadening and diversifying the sources of the City of Wilmington’s annual revenues.
3. The Task Force shall be comprised of the following twenty-three (23) members:
Four (4) Representatives of the 142nd Delaware General Assembly, two (2) of whom (one Democrat and one Republican) shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House and two (2) of whom (one Democrat and one Republican) shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
Five (5) Representatives of the State Government appointed by the Governor.
Four (4) Representatives of City Government appointed by the Mayor.
One (1) Representative of the Wilmington City Council appointed by the President of City Council.
One (1) Representative of the New Castle County Government appointed by the County Executive.
One (1) Representative of the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC).
Two (2) Representatives of the Wilmington Economic and Financial Advisory Council (WEFAC), one of whom shall be its Chairman and the other of whom shall be appointed by said Chairman.
Five (5) Representatives of the private sector appointed by the Governor.
4. The Chair(s) of the Task Force shall be selected by the Governor.
