[1] http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38143.html

Cognizant that his decision to raise taxes as a county executive will become fertile ground for Republican attacks, Delaware Senate candidate Chris Coons is attempting to soften the potential blow by embracing the move and explaining it as fiscally responsible.

“Chris Coons raised your taxes. Absolutely. Guilty as charged, your honor,” Coons told POLITICO Friday when asked about the biggest potential vulnerability he carries into his race against GOP Rep. Mike Castle.

The New Castle County executive said the 10-3 vote he helped engineer in May to pass a budget without a deficit included deep spending cuts and a $100 property tax increase.

He also identified it as the top piece of opposition research that would be leveraged against him but said that openly explaining the details would prove to be the best counterpunch.

Coons said he would answer the charge, potentially in television ads, with the message that the balanced budget he crafted delivered his county a Triple A bond rating and a $47 million dollar reserve without a deficit for the first time in a decade. The plan also included an $1,800 pay cut for the county’s 1,450 employees, which prompted public employee unions — a traditional Democratic constituency — to protest outside of Coons’ home.