10/15/2026
Last year and into this year, I was happy to serve on the bipartisan, bi-chamber Special Committee on Property Reassessments. We met multiple times and heard important input and feedback from various stakeholders and the public. From what we heard in those sessions, we drafted and passed multiple pieces of legislation this year, with more to come next year.
To be clear, counties are fully responsible for the property reassessment process. However, after the counties performed court-ordered property reassessments for the first time in about 40 years, we heard many valid concerns from constituents. To be candid, for various reasons, issues were much more concentrated in New Castle County than the other two counties. We as state legislators felt it necessary to step in and take action to address inequities, process gaps, and other issues not being addressed at the county level.
I was happy to serve as a cosponsor on each of these bills, and to have passed HCR 151 which established the Property Tax Relief & Modernization Working Group, which is currently meeting. The group is tasked with researching various possible programs for targeted tax relief for homeowners and renters, see what works best for Delaware, and submit proposed legislation for consideration by March 2027. (Also, I held two town halls about property reassessments and worked with Christina and Appoquinimink school district administrators to have them hold town halls about school taxes.)
As an activist before ever thinking of running for office, I advocated for regular property reassessments. Almost every other state has had them for quite some time. However, Delaware elected officials kicked the can down the road for years. It never should have taken lawsuits in each county to make property reassessments happen, but I’m glad that after those lawsuits were decided, we finally pass legislation requiring property reassessments every five years.
When something that should be done every few years hasn’t been done for 40 years, it’s going to take time to get it right. In Dover, we are committed to working together to make sure that happens for Delaware taxpayers.