SECRETARY'S LETTER

Welcome to the Delaware Department of State's website. Thousands of visitors from around the globe visit our web pages every day to learn about the advantages of Incorporating in Delaware.

Here in Delaware, the Department of State is also well-known for providing many other services that help grow our economy, improve public access to information, preserve our rich culture and history, protect consumers, and enhance Delaware's quality of life. All of this is made possible by the nearly 500 full-time and part-time professionals in our Department who are dedicated to providing high-quality public service.

Since being appointed Secretary of State in 2001 by Governor Ruth Ann Minner , I've had the privilege of speaking to audiences around the world and throughout our State. At each stop I have the opportunity to share the many accomplishments of the Department of State and the Minner-Carney Administration in areas such as:

I am proud of the people of this Department and we remain committed to providing the citizens of Delaware and our customers around the globe with high quality, cost-effective and friendly service.

Archives

• Opened a first-class archival exhibit and expanded hours at the Delaware Public Archives by 50%, opening the Archives on Saturdays, on 10 state holidays, and on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
• Topped 10,000 annual visitors to the Delaware Public Archives for the first time in history, marking a 45% increase in fiscal 2004.
• Worked with our Congressional delegation to secure the return of Delaware's original copy of the Bill of Rights.
• Launched the Delaware Digital Archives and put more than 7,000 archival images on the Internet.
• Recognized as one of the top genealogical websites in the nation by Family Tree Magazine in 2004.
• Funded the placement of 120 historic markers recognizing significant events, places of worship, schools and other landmarks throughout the State.

Arts

• Awarded $1.5 million in grants annually to arts organizations, schools, community-based organizations, and artists throughout the state.
• Boosted awareness of arts events and activities by:
• • Partnering with WILM News Radio to broadcast "Delaware, State of the Arts", a weekly public service program.
  • Partnering with the News Journal to produce "Artline", a bi-monthly arts and culture supplement distributed to more than 135,000 homes.
  • Signing legislation designating every March as "Arts in Education Month" to recognize the important role of arts programs in Delaware schools.
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• Improved access to State arts resources, services and technical support by:
• • Opening a Dover office for the Division of Arts to increase access for downstate residents.
  • Making all grant information and applications available on Internet.
  • Creating the "Technical Assistance Management Program" to assist new arts organizations with fundraising, marketing, and board development.
  • Creating the “Delaware Arts Presenters Network” to nurture collaborations and resource sharing among libraries, parks, community centers and traditional presenting organizations.
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• Enhanced youth arts programming by:
• • Designing a model after-school arts program with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Delaware and Delaware's Criminal Justice Council leveraging more than $100,000 in private funding.
  • Sponsoring tours of performing artists to all 33 libraries in conjunction with the State Library’s Summer Reading Program.
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• Organized more than 30 public appearances annually by Dr. Fleda Brown, the state’s Poet Laureate, including workshops to assist aspiring poets and fiction writers in Delaware.
• Created a Strategic Plan for the Arts in Delaware, incorporating the ideas of constituents who participated in statewide public meetings, focus groups, and on-line surveys.

Bank Commissioner's Office

• Launched the “Don’t Borrow Trouble” and “Know the Facts” media and outreach programs to increase consumer awareness about problems with predatory mortgage lending, high-cost payday and title loans, and excessive check cashing fees.
• Collected more than $457 million in bank franchise revenues and chartered 3 new banks, 5 new non-deposit trust companies and oversaw a 15% increase in licenses issued to non-bank financial service businesses.
• Protected consumers by resolving more than 6,300 written consumer complaints, securing $2.4 million to settle complaints about unfair practices by a major mortgage lender, and conducting 675 bank, trust company, licensee and escheat examinations.
• Promoted Delaware’s economic growth by signing legislation to improve our banking and trust laws and protect consumers.

Corporations

• Increased Delaware corporations and business entities by 17% since December 2000, topping 600,000 businesses for the first time ever.
• Launched the nation’s first and only 1-hour corporate filing service.
• Unveiled new Internet-based services such as Corporate Name Reservations, General Corporate Information, Tax and Annual Report filings, UCC filings and Delaware’s Corporation Laws online.
• Established Delaware as a national leader in promoting electronic filings. Online franchise tax filings increased from 49,000 in fiscal 2003 to 69,000 in fiscal 2004. Online UCC filings increased from 26,000 in fiscal 2003 to 52,500 in fiscal 2004.
• Enhanced the State's position as the Corporate Capital of the United States by signing new legislation:
• • Providing incentives for locating Headquarter Management Companies in Delaware.
  • Creating a Technology Court that provides jurisdiction for the Court of Chancery to resolve complex technology litigation and offer voluntary mediation services.
  • Strengthening Delaware’s corporate laws by simplifying shareholder and board access to corporate books and records and providing the Court of Chancery with jurisdiction over the actions of corporate officers.
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• Handled a 40% overall increase in filing volumes with no additional staff, reduced overall spending, and returned more than $15 million of unspent funds to the State's general fund.

Government Information

• Launched www.delaware.gov, the state's new web portal that provides quick citizen access to the most frequently requested State government services, information and news.
• Created, enhanced and provided support to dozens of online services including the Polling Place Locator, the Virtual Tax Service Center, Online Delaware Code and Administrative Code, Division of Motor Vehicles website, Division of Professional Regulation website, the Delaware Index of City and Town Charters, the State Kids Page and more.
• Implemented the Delaware Information Subscription Service (DISS) allowing citizens to receive real time e-mail notices of school closings, sex offender notifications, proposed regulatory changes and more.
• Built a Statewide Calendaring System to make citizens aware of the dates, times, locations and agendas of open public meetings. Agencies participating in this pilot project include the Division of Professional Regulation, the Public Service Commission, the State Bank Commissioner, the State Insurance Commissioner, and the Departments of State and Agriculture.
• Created a system to allow news releases and information from the Governor to be posted and made available to the public and the media simultaneously.
• Developed a “Common Look and Feel” template currently used on thousands of State web pages to improve the ability of visitors to navigate agency web pages and to highlight frequently requested information.
• Developed web publishing standards and a website cover designed to improve the accessibility of State websites for the physically-disabled and others.
• Responded to more than 6,000 citizen emails sent to the State’s web portal.

Historic Preservation (Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs)

• Started the State Historic Preservation Tax Credit program which has awarded $12 million of tax incentives and leveraged more than $89 million of private investment to redevelop and renovate properties and create affordable housing in historic sections of Wilmington, Dover and elsewhere.
• Assisted in 18 listings to the National Register of Historic Places including the communities of Arden and numerous houses, commercial buildings, and other properties throughout the State.
• Enhanced citizen awareness of historic preservation programs by organizing workshops on the Historic Preservation Tax Credit program and the National Register of Historic Places program in 10 local communities.
• Coordinated the National Landmark Designation for New Castle Courthouse (Underground Railroad Theme for its association with the Hunn/Garrett Trials of 1848) and Howard High School (Brown v. Board of Education Theme for its association with the Belton v. Gebhardt case in Delaware).

Human Relations

• Participated in more than 400 educational and outreach events to assure equal opportunity for all Delawareans by protecting them against discriminatory practices based on race, color, age, sex, religion, marital status, national origin or disability.
• Played an instrumental role in helping create a Dover Human Relations Commission.
• Earned a $10,000 award from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for meeting our target of closing out 100% of Fair Housing cases within 100 days.
• Handled more than 300 alleged complaints of discrimination annually.
• Created the Statewide Fair Housing Task Force to facilitate the detection, referral and prosecution of housing discrimination complaints and to increase and heighten the awareness of Fair Housing Rights.

Libraries

• Increased State funding for local libraries by 50% from $2.2 million in fiscal year 2001 to more than $3.3 million in fiscal year 2005.
• Funded $14 million of library construction, renovation and planning projects throughout Delaware including Brandywine Hundred, Frankford, Greenwood, Harrington, Hockessin, Kirkwood Highway, Laurel, Milton, Millsboro, Newark, New Castle, Selbyville, Seaford, Smyrna, South Coastal, and Woodlawn in Wilmington.
• Made Delaware a national leader in library technology and ensuring citizen access to high-speed internet, e-commerce and other services with the purchase of hundreds of new, state-of-the-art computers for use in our public libraries.
• Signed legislation (Senate Bill 231) sending $9 million to the state’s public school districts for textbooks, workbooks, library books and technology including a full $1 million dedicated to school libraries.
• Implemented “AnswerOnline”, a virtual reference service allowing citizens and students to chat live with a reference librarian, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Created the Governor’s Task Force on School Libraries to identify ways to further improve our school libraries.
• Opened the Delaware Library Assistive Technology Demonstration Project – an initiative of the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped to increase the availability of assistive technology for library users with disabilities.
• Created the Delaware Library Associates Training Institute to provide better technical and customer service training for local librarians.
• Completed a Statewide Library Technology Plan and developed the first ever Statewide Master Plan for Library Services & Construction.

Museums (Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs)

• Created the First State Historical Park, linking together 10 historic and cultural sites in downtown Dover in a “park without boundaries” aimed at drawing more visitors to our state capital.
• Restored important state-owned museums and historic sites including the Old New Castle Courthouse, Buena Vista Conference Center, the State Hall of Records, and John Dickinson Plantation.
• Funded significant rehabilitations for important historic sites at Abbott’s Mill (Milford), Hale Byrnes House (Stanton), Robinson House (Claymont), Dayett House (Newark), Prince George’s Chapel (Dagsboro), and the Old State House, Johnson Victrola Museum, Octagonal Schoolhouse and the Delaware Archaeology Museum (Dover).
• Rejuvenated the spirit of Delaware Day (December 7^th) by commemorating Delaware’s ratification of the U.S. Constitution with an annual 4^th grade student competition, historic tours, a speaker’s bureau, and other statewide activities.
• Attracted more than 80,000 annual visitors to State Museums, interpreting a wide range of topics including African American history, Native American history, archaeology, law, women’s history, coastal and maritime history, and specific historic events.
• Worked with the National Park Service to certify the New Castle Courthouse Museum and the State House Museum as official sites on the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Professional Regulation

• Expanded services on the Internet for consumers and the State’s 53,000 licensees. The public can now access a searchable database of licensees, file complaints online, and download professional license requirements, applications, and information on disciplinary matters.
• Signed legislation ensuring that members of our military will not have their professional licenses expire while on active duty overseas.
• Processed and completed more than 1,500 investigations since 2001.

Public Advocate

• Successfully petitioned regulators to prohibit utility shut-offs during extreme hot and cold weather.
• Helped negotiate an agreement to freeze rates for Delaware’s largest utility for three years ending in 2006.
• Saved Delaware ratepayers nearly $17 million since 2001 by vigorously challenging utility requests for rate increases.

Public Integrity Commission

• Signed legislation enabling electronic filing of financial disclosure and lobbying reports.
• Expanded the availability of services, forms, ethics opinions and other information available over the Internet.

Public Service Commission

• Took actions to significantly improve the reliability of Delaware’s electric transmission grid and reduce the price volatility of electricity. These efforts have reduced congestion hours on the Delmarva Peninsula from 4,500 hours in 2001 to just 600 hours in 2004.
• Improved the reliability of water and wastewater service in the State by enhancing oversight of these investor-owned utilities.
• Handled more than 1,600 utility complaints annually.

Veterans Affairs

• Proposed and signed legislation to build a Delaware State Veterans Home and waived state bid laws to expedite completion of construction by 2006.
• Signed legislation creating a State Veterans Home Fund to receive private donations and contributions through a check-off on the Delaware personal income tax return.
• Expanded the Veterans Cemetery in New Castle County by increasing the number of interment vaults by 6,000 and the number of columbarium niches by 700 through a $3.6M grant from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Assisted Delaware veterans in starting small businesses through a partnership with the Small Business Administration and Delaware banking institutions.
• Honored the military service of Delaware veterans by:
• • Awarding high school diplomas to deserving World War II veterans who left high school prior to graduation in order to serve in the armed forces of the United States
  • Hosting a State Dinner for members of Delaware’s Pearl Harbor Survivors Association to commemorate the 60^th anniversary
  • Opening a major museum exhibition in Dover marking the 50^th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice
  • Erecting and refurbishing various State monuments that recognize Medal of Honor recipients, Prisoners of War and Missing In Action, and Delaware veterans of all eras
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• Enhanced services provided by the Commission of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Memorial Cemeteries by improving website information and access and allowing veterans to submit cemetery applications online.