DOVER, Del. - People who live in New Castle County will have more time to pay their property tax bills for the 2025-2026 tax year after the House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday during a special session.
Senate Bill 206, sponsored by Sen. Jack Walsh and Rep. Kim Williams, extends the property tax payment deadline to Dec. 31. The legislation is a follow-up to House Bill 242, passed in August, which allowed school districts to set different tax rates for residential and non-residential properties.
That change was made after widespread concern that many residential properties in New Castle County were overassessed while commercial properties were underassessed. As a result, HB 242 aimed to reduce tax bills for many homeowners and extended the deadline to Nov. 30 to allow time for revised bills to be sent out.
However, HB 242 was challenged in the Court of Chancery, delaying the reissuance of bills. The court upheld the bill’s terms on Oct. 30, and the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed that decision earlier this week. With only a month left before the November deadline, lawmakers said a further extension was necessary.
“SB 206 is the final step in our short-term efforts to ensure that this initial reassessment, the first one for our county over 40 years, does not have drastic effects on our neighbors. At the county’s request, this bill extends the property tax payment deadline to the end of the year, giving homeowners more time and flexibility to review their bills,” said Rep. Kim Williams.
SB 206 now heads to Gov. Matt Meyer's desk for signature.