HCR 150 and HCR 151 to create property assessment working groups
One suggested working group, proposed by State. Rep Eric Morrison (D-Glasgow), would look at potential long-term reforms to Delaware’s property assessment policy.
Morrison worked on the special committee last year that addressed immediate issues of the reassessments with bills offering targeted relief.
He said additional considerations for homestead exemptions, property tax stabilization measures, and assessment caps should be made. But last year's group didn't have time to address, "the system updates, determining...who would cover some of the costs. Would it be the county? Would it be the school district? Just a lot of issues."
State Rep. Cyndie Romer (D-Newark), who also was on the special committee, suggested another working group to develop policy recommendations for statewide property assessment standards.
Romer said over the past several months, the general assembly worked with experts, attorneys, and policy professionals to identify a legislative path forward for more than 26 thousand Newcastle County properties, "that failed assessment standards."
Romer added the inaccuracies in assessed property put disproportionate burden on low-income households. The lack of statewide uniform rules enable, causes inequities to go unchecked.
Both working groups would meet and develop recommendations for next legislative session.
Bills on property assessment focused on New Castle County
In addition to the resolution for statewide standards, Romer suggested other measures aimed specifically at her district.
HB 460, she said, addresses the lack of Wilmington permitting data available during reassessment. It ask municipalities to submit that data to the county monthly.
Her measure is specific to New Castle County because of the concerns she heard in her district, and current code referring to New Castle County.
But Romer said the working group she suggested in HCR 150 could make suggestions for the next legislative session that specifies data collection requirements for Kent and Sussex counties.
State Representative Kim Williams (D-Stanton) and Romer both presented bills that extend provisions the General Assembly made for school districts in New Castle County for its 2026-2027 fiscal year, in response to the inaccuracies with the property assessment.
For the 2026-2027 fiscal year, New Castle County districts could adjust their tax rates – and apply a split rate to residential and commercial properties.
Romer's bill allows the New Castle County districts to again adjust their rates. And Williams's bill allows the district to apply a split rates for next year, though it lowers the rate cap for commercial properties.
New Castle County continues making corrections to its assessments, and commercial properties that were undervalued. Romer and Williams said schools should be allowed to adjust for corrections.
Williams said she expects, "the quality review will help with some of those bigger commercial properties that saw such drastic reductions."
Extensive committee debate on regulating firearms
Democratic and Republican members of the House Administration Committee debated a senate bill, which creates new regulations for Delaware's 130 firearms dealers.
The bill’s House sponsor, State Rep. Mara Gorman (D-Newark) defended the bill’s provisions that firearm dealers maintain digital security systems and train employees on how to identify straw purchasers – a term for people buying a gun for someone without a license.
But State Rep. Jeff Spiegelman (R-Clayton) argued lack of clarity in one section of the bill could allow for a gun registry.
"Even if I'm wrong, if the true intent is to not have a registry, then in theory shouldn't be problem cleaning it up," he said.
But Gorman said the bill’s been revised already to say a system of registration is “expressly prohibited.”
Bill to amend Delaware constitution, block "entities" from voting
A Superior Court judge ruled last month that businesses that own property in the town of Fenwick Island can vote– but State Rep. Kerri Evelyn Harris (D-Dover) wants to put a stop to the practice.
She introduced a bill to amend the state constitution to require that “only natural persons” can vote in Delaware elections. She chairs the house admin committee, and argued the merits of her legislation.
She said the bill wouldn't change, "how municipalities govern themselves."
But she said, "who gets to decide those governments in the first place, that has always been a matter of statewide concern."
Since Harris’ bill is a constitutional amendment – it would need two third majority support in both chambers during this legislative session and the next.
