STATE OF DELAWARE

governor’s office

DOVER

EXECUTIVE ORDER

Number 26: Delaware Strategies For State Policies And Spending

WHEREAS, land use policy plays a critical role in building strong local communities, supporting diverse economic opportunities and providing a high quality of life for residents and businesses today and those considering whether to locate in Delaware in the future;

WHEREAS, the State has a responsibility to the taxpayers of the State of Delaware to ensure that each tax dollar is appropriately utilized;

WHEREAS, private businesses base their long-term investment decisions on transparent, predictable, sustainable growth strategies in areas with high quality communities and adequate infrastructure;

WHEREAS, all Delaware counties and incorporated municipalities must prepare comprehensive plans to encourage appropriate uses of physical and fiscal resources and to coordinate growth, development, and infrastructure investment actions with those of other local governments and the State;

WHEREAS, State government plays a critical role in supporting the implementation of these comprehensive plans through its capital investment program, funding of schools, allocation of grants and loans, purchase of open space and development rights, and distribution of state resources;

WHEREAS, the Delaware Strategies for State Policies and Spending are found in the adopted and certified comprehensive plans of local governments in Delaware and are intended to provide coordination of expenditures of tax dollars in support of the implementation of these comprehensive plans;

WHEREAS, the investment of State taxpayer dollars should be strategically and purposely directed to areas that maintain or enhance economic opportunity and community well-being while protecting and restoring the natural environment upon which citizens and economies depend;

WHEREAS, Delaware’s cities and towns have significant capacity for growth and redevelopment opportunities for brownfields, greyfields, and other sites near existing infrastructure;

WHEREAS, Delaware faces significant environmental and public health challenges in assuring cleaner air, cleaner water, quality open spaces, and recognizing potential threats from flooding and sea-level rise;

WHEREAS, agriculture is a vital part of Delaware’s economy and should be supported to remain viable and profitable;

WHEREAS, there is a need to expand the array of housing and transportation choices to nurture cohesive communities, provide infrastructure more cost-effectively, and enable older citizens to live independently; and

WHEREAS, on September 28, 2010 the Cabinet Committee on State Planning Issues approved and updated set of State Strategies for State Policies and Spending to ensure efficient, rational and cost-effective investment in necessary infrastructure.

NOW, THEREFORE I, JACK MARKELL, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Delaware, do hereby DECLARE and ORDER that:The Office of State Planning Coordination shall publish on-line, the updated State Strategies for State Policies and Spending document (“Strategies document”) and maps, including geospatial data (with full metadata) representing the various investment level areas recommended in the Strategies document;

• All state departments and agencies shall use the Strategies document and maps as a guide to making all decisions on policy, infrastructure and other investments, and resource management;

• The Office of Management and Budget shall use the Strategies document and maps as a guide in developing and reviewing state department and agency spending plans;

• The Strategies document and maps shall be made available to all county and municipal government agencies for use in all planning-related endeavors, including, but not limited to, comprehensive plan development and strategic planning;

• The Strategies document and maps shall be used in the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS) process as a tool for helping developers, land-owners, and local governments create efficient, rational and complete communities/smart-growth development options in those areas most ready to receive and serve new development;

• The Office of Sate Planning Coordination shall, in conjunction with the Cabinet Committee on State Planning Issues, plan and carry out an update of the Strategies document and maps within five years of the effective date of this order; and

• Executive Order No. Fifty-Nine, issued by Governor Ruth Ann Minner, dated September 23, 2004, is hereby rescinded.

APPROVED this 1st day of April, 2011

Jack A. Markell, Governor