Delaware legislators will meet in a special session to address public anger over recent property tax hikes.
Delaware Business Now reports the special session that begins on Aug. 12 comes in response to a court-ordered, statewide property reassessment – the first reassessment in decades.
A considerable level of homeowner unhappiness focused on the percentage of property tax bills going into the public school system. Rep. Michael Smith, a Republican, responded to this public displeasure by reintroducing a bill to rescind a law enabling school districts to automatically increase their property tax revenues automatically by 10% following a property reassessment without holding a referendum. Smith’s bill would require the districts to show they are facing a budget deficit before raising taxes without a referendum.
“I’m getting a ton of phone calls, a ton of emails, messages, text messages, every single day,” Smith said, adding his bill was retroactive and would rescind the recent tax hikes. “People are clearly hurting or clearly upset.”
Another proposal that will be raised in the special session would school districts to assess higher tax rates on business properties instead of residences. Rep. Kim Williams, a Democrat, viewed that approach as the best strategy “fix the reassessment tax issue.”
Photo: Famartin / Wikimedia Commons
