Correct Property Assessments & Protect Homeowners: Use Last Year's Assessments for This Year's Tax Bills in New Castle County
County Executive Marcus Henry, New Castle County Council, Mayor John Carney, Wilmington City Council, Governor Matt Meyer and Delaware State Legislators
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that property tax assessments are accurate. Tyler Technologies' new assessment numbers include many errors and inconsistencies. There are still thousands of appeals that have not been processed, but New Castle County sent out tax bills anyway.
Corporations need to pay their fair share of property taxes. But large companies like JPMorgan Chase, Delmarva, and Costco will together pay millions less in property taxes this year. Meanwhile, homeowners' tax bills are increasing. That’s because when some taxpayers pay less, like the Amazon facility on Boxwood Rd. that got a $1.8 million decrease in their Red Clay school taxes this year, other taxpayers have to make up the difference.
New Castle County and the City of Wilmington split their rates so that commercial properties will pay a higher rate than residential properties for this tax year only. The state legislature just passed bills to allow school districts to do the same. Unfortunately, this fix is only temporary and only shifts the burden. Without the split, residents absorb tax cuts for large commercial properties; with the split, over-assessed small businesses pick up the burden.
We need New Castle County to identify errors, correct assessments, and ensure everyone pays their fair share. Sign the petition to ask New Castle County, the City of Wilmington, and state officials to use last year’s assessment values for this year’s bills and cover any revenue shortfalls this causes for school districts.
We are a group of impacted residents organizing for fair taxes. Let’s send a message to our elected officials that we want a fair and sustainable tax system to fund our schools and vital public services.
Sponsored by
To:
County Executive Marcus Henry, New Castle County Council, Mayor John Carney, Wilmington City Council, Governor Matt Meyer and Delaware State Legislators
From:
[Your Name]
There needs to be a full intergovernmental response to fix the reassessment process in New Castle County.
What We're Asking You to Do:
- Delay the implementation of New Castle County's new assessment numbers until next fiscal year.
- Use last year's assessment values plus completed new construction that wasn’t on the tax rolls last year to reissue tax bills this year, including resetting tax rates.
- Assist school districts in meeting FY2026 budget needs that exceed this year's tax revenue.
- Conduct an audit to identify errors and inconsistencies in Tyler Technologies’ assessment numbers.
- Assist New Castle County in taking appropriate steps to fix errors.
- Establish sufficient programs to assist vulnerable populations impacted by tax increases.
- Roll out new tax bills next year based on assessments that accurately reflect each property's fair market value as of July 1, 2024.
Why?
Families and neighborhoods are at risk: Too many people have received tax bills they cannot afford, often based on assessments that are more than what they could sell their house for.
Assessment should be accurate: Tyler Technologies’ new assessment numbers include too many errors and inconsistencies. It is the government's responsibility to ensure that the assessments used to charge people property taxes are accurate.
Corporations should pay their fair share: All over New Castle County, corporations like JPMorgan Chase, Delmarva, and Costco will collectively pay millions less in property taxes this year compared to last year due to Tyler Technologies' new assessment values. Are Tyler’s valuations correct? We need a second opinion before we give up so much income from valuable commercial properties that New Castle County schools need to serve our students, and before we ask homeowners to pay more to make up the difference.
Small businesses should not be penalized: Splitting the tax rate without first taking steps to ensure the accuracy of all assessments has the potential to unfairly burden small businesses, many of which have been over-assessed. Shifting the tax burden that large corporations should pay from residents to small businesses is not the answer.
This is a vital moment and we are asking you to work together to restore public confidence in the government and ensure that everyone is paying their fair share of property taxes.