DOVER, Del. - Republican lawmakers in Delaware are calling for the General Assembly to return to session to address public backlash over rising property taxes following a statewide reassessment.
The reassessment, agreed to by all three counties in 2021, was part of a lawsuit settlement that claimed outdated property values were hurting school funding. Sussex County conducted the most recent assessment in 1974, New Castle County and Kent County last completed theirs in 1983 and 1987.
State law requires property tax assessments to reflect real property value. A rule also allows school districts to increase total revenue by up to 10 percent after reassessment, while the remaining 90 percent is for local schools.
Earlier this month, the Appoquinimink School Board used that rule to approve a 10 percent revenue increase, citing a budgeting error. The move caught residents and lawmakers off guard.
Rep. Mike Smith (R-Pike Creek Valley) had previously proposed bills to prevent such increases without voter approval. Though those bills failed, he plans to reintroduce a version that allows increases only in cases of verified deficits, capped at 10 percent, and retroactive to July 1, 2025.
Meanwhile, Rep. Kevin Hensley (R-Townsend) is backing a separate bill to require property reassessments every 10 years instead of every 5, to lower costs and citing his concern for taxpayer dollars. For comparison Maryland does cyclable assessments every 3 years.
GOP leaders say large tax hikes especially in New Castle County have blindsided residents, and want urgent legislative action to soften the impact.