DOVER, DE (AP) – Delaware Gov. John Carney is proposing to boost the state government’s operating budget by over 7% next year. The spending plan calls for an operating budget of $5.48 billion, up from this year’s $5.1 billion budget. It includes hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending for state employee pay raises, health care, and affordable housing. The total does not include a one-time supplemental appropriation of $325 million for the operating budget. Carney also is proposing a budget of about $1.3 billion for construction and transportation projects. That’s a slight decrease from the current year’s $1.46 billion capital budget.

GOV. JOHN CARNEY