For the past year, Rachel Plast has played a key role in helping the City of Wilmington turn priorities into plans. As a senior budget and management analyst in the Budget Department, Rachel serves as a budget resource to several departments, including Housing and Neighborhoods, Parks and Recreation, Fire and Human Resources. Her work includes support for Parks and Recreation’s golf operations, which operate through a separate enterprise fund, as well as Housing and Neighborhoods’ Community Development Fund, which includes Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME federal funds alongside general fund dollars.
At the core of her role is support. Rachel helps guide departments through the budget process and provides year-round assistance on budget-related questions, position control, and salary projections. That work, she says, often feels like solving a puzzle. It's a detailed process that is especially rewarding when all the pieces fall into place.
Behind the Numbers
While the budget may appear as a single document to residents, the work behind it requires a deep understanding of how each department operates. Rachel must be familiar with everything from staffing structures and work schedules to program funding and project codes.
For departments like Fire, that includes knowing different ranks and work hours — firefighters work 2,912 hours annually, compared to the 2,080-hour schedule common across most other departments. Parks and Recreation presents its own complexities, with multiple divisions and project codes that must be accounted for accurately.
Rachel said her previous experience working in a housing and community development department helped prepare her for this role, but transitioning into the Budget Department with the City has broadened her perspective even further. Supporting multiple departments at once has allowed her to better understand how City operations fit together as a whole.
Connecting Budgets to Community Impact
Through careful financial planning, Rachel helps ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and responsibly. Her work supports reliable funding for essential services such as public safety, infrastructure maintenance, parks, and community programs, while also contributing to transparent and data-driven budgets residents can trust.
One accomplishment that stands out for Rachel is helping complete the City’s budget book last year. Having spent much of her local government career budgeting for individual departments, she said being part of the full budget process, and seeing the final product come together, was especially meaningful. “It was a big accomplishment,” she said. “Seeing that huge book completed and knowing I helped create it was something I was really proud of.”
Beyond the Office
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys spending time with her family and staying active. She is an avid runner and works out daily, having run consistently for the past 20 years. She often takes advantage of the Skyline Fitness Center during her lunch break to fit movement into her day.
Rachel also enjoys spending time in the kitchen. She has been gluten-free for 16 years and loves baking in her free time, recently perfecting her gluten-free bagel, cinnamon roll and sourdough recipes.At home, Rachel stays busy with her three dogs, Bobbi, Suzi and Max, who keep her on her toes.
Advice for Future City Employees
Rachel encourages anyone interested in working for the City of Wilmington to understand the mission of public service and the role local government plays in improving residents’ quality of life. She emphasizes the importance of learning how departments work together, particularly through the budget process, where collaboration and long-term planning are essential. She also notes that while public service can be challenging, it is deeply rewarding for those who care about their community and want to contribute to the City’s overall success.