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Charlie Copeland

Writer

Director, Center for Economic & Fiscal Policy

Profile

Join date: Aug 16, 2025

About

Charlie Copeland is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. He holds a BS and an MBA from Duke University.

Mr. Copeland is a prominent community leader in ISI's home state of Delaware. From 2002 through 2008, he served as a Delaware State Senator, rising to Senate Minority Leader's position. He emerged as a leading voice for government accountability, education reform, and criminal justice reform during his service.

Mr. Copeland serves as Board Chair of the Longwood Foundation, which has made more than $2 billion in grants to nonprofits since Pierre S. du Pont founded it in 1937. He also co-founded and serves as President of the Board of the Challenge Program, a nonprofit organization that trains at-risk youth in construction skills, and Vice President of the Board of the Mt. Cuba Center, which has protected more than 2,500 acres of open space in the Brandywine Valley.

Posts (47)

Dec 19, 2025 ∙ 3 min

Why Delaware’s Decoupling from Accelerated Depreciation Is a Strategic Mistake

Delaware’s decision to decouple from federal accelerated depreciation is being framed as budget protection, but in practice it functions as a quiet tax increase on investment. Accelerated depreciation is not a bonus or windfall—it simply allows businesses to recover costs sooner. By slowing deductions for capital equipment and R&D, Delaware raises the effective cost of investing, weakens competitiveness, and signals policy uncertainty at a time when capital can easily move elsewhere.

Nov 11, 2025 ∙ 4 min

Delaware’s Budget Woes: A Crisis Made in Dover, Not Washington

Delaware’s $400 million budget shortfall isn’t the result of federal tax changes—it’s the outcome of years of unchecked state spending. As the Caesar Rodney Institute explains, Dover’s leaders have expanded budgets through off-book appropriations and relied on temporary federal aid to mask structural problems. With surpluses fading, Delaware faces a fiscal crisis of its own making, demanding real reform—not blame-shifting to Washington.

Sep 25, 2025 ∙ 3 min

Delaware Policy Choices Caused the Property Tax Problem

Delaware Policy Choices Caused the Property Tax Problem By Charlie Copeland Center for Economic & Fiscal Policy September 24, 2025 The recent property tax reassessment in New Castle County (NCC) has stirred public debate, with homeowners facing higher tax bills while many commercial properties saw their assessments fall. On the surface, this might seem like a quirk of appraisal methodology. However, a deeper examination reveals a more fundamental truth: Delaware and NCC's economic and fiscal...

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