Protecting our Future
Colleen is fighting for the future of all Delawareans by working tirelessly to prepare for whatever the future may bring. COVID-19 brought uncertainty to our lives and our government, but Colleen’s leadership ensured that Delaware weathered the storm and is stronger than ever today.
Strengthening Delaware DEFER
Delaware DEFER is an integral part of the state employee retirement plan, and strengthening this system helps Delaware to recruit and maintain the highest quality workforce, ensuring our state has the talent to shape the future. Our civil servants have worked tirelessly during this time of crisis to make us stronger, and Colleen has fought to strengthen benefits for state workers, including creating historic investment returns for Delaware DEFER.
Expanding Delaware 529 College Savings
The dream of higher education remains out of reach for too many of Delaware’s students, but Colleen and her team have poured countless hours into strengthening Delaware’s 529 program, allowing families to invest tax-free dollars towards a student’s education. Just since 2019, the program has expanded by X%, giving thousands more Delaware students a pathway to college and vocational training.
Protecting our AAA bond rating
Despite the uncertainty around the pandemic, Colleen’s steady leadership inspired trust and confidence from bond agencies and investors, ensuring Delaware maintained its AAA bond rating–the highest standard of financial trust. This rating ensures our state can access capital at the lowest rates, ensuring that taxpayer money isn’t wasted when funding essential projects.
Supporting our most vulnerable
Colleen knows that Delaware’s future is only strong if we protect the most vulnerable among us, and her career as a healthcare professional showed her the human cost of leaving those behind.
Delaware EARNS
Today, more than 9,000 of our seniors live in poverty, and the shrinking of the middle class has put many more at risk in the future. That’s why Colleen is fighting for Delaware EARNS, a program that will establish a tax advantaged retirement program so all of our workers can save and invest in their future.
DEpendABLE Savings accounts
Colleen’s career as a healthcare professional shined a light on the thousands of Delawareans with disabilities living near or below the poverty line, and current laws make it impossible for people with disabilities to save for their future without sacrificing the healthcare benefits they need. Colleen’s changes to Delaware’s DEpendABLE savings accounts will dramatically increase disabled Delawareans’ ability to work and save without jeopardizing the benefits they need to live long, happy, and productive lives.
Upholding our trust
Our financial future is built on our ability to trust those managing our resources. Colleen and her team of highly qualified, thoughtful, and compassionate professionals are ensuring those resources are always working for Delaware’s families.
Turning shortfall into surplus
When Colleen took office in 2019, Delaware was staring down a $255 million shortfall for 2020. However, Colleen’s quick and thoughtful action ensured that Delaware not only was able to pay its bills, but had a surplus of $1.12 billion in 2021 without raising taxes on our families. Now, Delaware has the financial security to invest in infrastructure and services our families need to thrive.
Making our dollars work for us
Colleen knows that our dollars should be working towards our future, not lining the pockets of Wall Street advisors. She’s negotiated some of the lowest fees for financial services in the nation, while securing the highest return on investment in recent history.