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Sen. Cruz presents bill to let New Castle County districts reset school tax rates after reassessment
Summary
Senator Cruz said HB 4-61 lets New Castle County school districts adjust tax rates to reflect corrections from recent county property revaluations; sponsor said the change is temporary, includes a sunset, and is not intended to increase districts' projected operating revenue.
Senator Cruz introduced House Bill 4-61 as a companion to Senate Bill 2-28, describing it as a temporary mechanism to allow New Castle County school districts to adjust school tax rates after county property reassessments and corrections.
Cruz said the measure allows districts to make rate resets for the coming school year to reflect corrections that occur through county appeals or adjudication from prior reassessments. He emphasized that from a revenue perspective the bill is not intended to increase districts’ projected operating revenue overall and includes a sunset to limit the change to a temporary period while broader solutions are considered.
Members asked clarifying questions about the operation of the reset, timelines and how any temporary shortfalls would be addressed. Cruz said New Castle County could seek state financial backing for a temporary period if districts experienced a shortfall due to adjudications.
Taylor Hawk, speaking for the Delaware State Education Association, told the committee that property‑tax values matter for public education funding and public trust, noting that about 30% of schools’ funding comes from local property taxes and supporting corrective measures that align tax bases more closely to actual market value.
No committee vote on HB 4-61 was recorded during the hearing.
