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Reassessment fails to gain enough support in New Castle County Council

Anne Hoffman/Delaware Public Media

New Castle County homes will not be reassessed in the near future.

Tuesday night, after County Council voted against establishing a reassessment reserve account in the general fund, Council member George Smiley withdrew all proposed ordinances having to do with reassessment.

 

The councilman said he was disappointed, but not surprised, as reassessment is, in his words, “a political bombshell.”

"Hopefully, this discussion won’t die. I mean I’ve been talking about it for ten years. We’ll keep talking about it. Sooner or later, we’ll get it done," said Smiley

He added that properties will have to be reassessed at some point since the last time the process took place was in 1983.

Council President Chris Bullock, who voted against establishing the fund, said he was against the process but not the principle. Bullock is in favor of a measured but comprehensive approach to reassessment that would seek community input and buy-in from residents and experts before moving forward.

 
Council President Chris Bullock agrees that reassessment will be necessary at some point in the future, but said that he voted against the reserve account because the timing and process were wrong.

 

"We’d like to have the state make it part of their fiscal agenda. We need to look at how it would help or hurt us fiscally," he said.

The Council President also stressed the importance of more community input before making big decisions on reassessment.