The House Administrative Committee advanced a resolution asking counties to study the viability of freezing property taxes for seniors – despite reservations from both sides of the aisle.
State Rep. Sherae’a Moore’s proposal comes after complications experienced during Delaware’s first property assessments in decades - and as New Castle County proposes a 17% property tax increase.
Moore (D-Middletown) said the resolution would act as a suggestion to counties, "to consider our most vulnerable population who is not seeing a pay increase, who has been severely impacted with reassessment."
United Way 2023 data said about 46 percent of Delawareans older than 65 live below the ALICE threshold, which is an income above the federal poverty level, but not enough to afford the cost of living in their area.
Moore said because of this financial vulnerability, state officials should be, "considering options, not just the ones that we have where we learned big lessons from this reassessment process."
House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown (D-New Castle) pointed out the House has a special committee to address property assessment already.
"We know that we waited 40 years to do reassessment," Minor- Brown said. "It's unfortunate, and shame on the individuals who were in this position before us that waited this long, because now we have to try to figure it out."
But Minor-Brown said she didn't want to support proposals without considering unintended consequences.
"So I understand your intent," she said to Moore. "I do hope that you engage with the committee and different counties."
State Rep. Ed Osienski (D-Newark) added that school districts would stand to lose funds, and State Rep. Tim Dukes (R-Laurel) said local officials sent him a letter saying the study could pose legal and financial problems.
Moore said she introduced the resolution in August 2025, before the special property reassessment committee was established a month later. She added that she does look in on committees, but seniors in her district had approached her about reassessment.
"I'm being held accountable by my population of people," Moore said. "...So to just sit on (the resolution) and not even give its due process and hearing– that would be negligence of my representation to my district."
The last time the house committee on property reassessment met was in December.
"I'm going to support this bill being released only on its intent," Minor-Brown said. "But I do ask that you, please, have those conversations through the work with the school districts, with the counties, with the reassessment committee to come up with a few targeted approaches that could really get us to get us to the desired impact."
The resolution was released from committee on its merits.
