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Lobbyist reports special session stopgaps on reassessments; county to reissue Newcastle County bills, council told
Summary
A lobbyist briefed Newark council on Aug. 18 about a one-day special session of the General Assembly that enacted short-term measures to address property tax reassessment problems in Newcastle County, including allowing split residential/commercial tax rates, credits for overpayments and extended payment deadlines.
A lobbyist briefing to the City of Newark Council on Aug. 18 summarized actions taken by the General Assembly in a one-day special session on Aug. 12 that the presenter described as stopgap measures addressing property tax reassessment issues in Newcastle County.
The presenter, identified in the meeting as James (lobbyist), said the session produced a bill that "codified the fact that towns can, bill at a residential rate and a commercial rate" and allows school districts to do likewise. The special session also provided a mechanism for taxpayers who have already paid their 2025 bills to receive credits after calculations are redone and extended the payment deadline while reassessments are being corrected.
Why it matters: James told council the resolution accompanying the special session directs further study of reassessment methodologies to ensure sound metrics and recommended additional work in the coming legislative year to avoid repeating the process in four to five years. He said the county is preparing to reissue corrected tax bills for Newcastle County, and that school districts must decide their rates and submit them to the county within an expected 10-day timeframe so the county can reissue new bills with the revised school-rate allocations.
Council members asked follow-up questions about timing and whether the county will reissue bills; the lobbyist said the county will reissue and that payment deadlines were moved out by approximately one month (the presenter referenced an October/November timeline for school districts receiving funds, rather than the usual October timing). The lobbyist characterized the special session as an opportunity to start refining reassessment procedures, noting many localities had not completed reassessments in decades.
Ending: Council members said they will reserve more detailed comments for future meetings when split-rate and local implications are considered again in council deliberations.
