Sussex reassessments almost done, appeal process to begin

Sussex County is nearing the completion of its extensive property reassessment project, which has been underway for several years.

The reassessment, which covers nearly 200,000 parcels across the county, is a crucial step in ensuring fair and accurate property valuations, following a 2018 education funding lawsuit.

The NAACP of Delaware and Delawareans for Educational Opportunity filed a lawsuit against the state that year, claiming the lack of consistent reassessments had denied adequate funding for Delaware schools, particularly those serving disadvantaged students.

Among other requirements, the decision of that lawsuit required Delaware to conduct property reassessments.

Sussex residents are the last to receive their property reassessment letters in the mail.

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The Sussex County Council received the latest update on the project during their regular meeting Thursday, with plans to wrap up the process by the end of this year.

The county has now received the final assessment rolls from Tyler Technologies, the vendor contracted for the project, and is preparing for the next phase: the appeals process.

Beginning in March, property owners will have the opportunity to contest their property values before the County’s Board of Assessment Review.

“This is the final phase of a multi-year effort, and we are beginning to see the results,” said Gina A. Jennings, finance director and chief operating officer for Sussex County. “The public can now see their preliminary assessments and get a sense of what their future tax bills might look like. We’re almost there, but there are still a few important steps remaining.”

The appeals process will take place throughout the spring, allowing property owners to contest values they believe are incorrect.

These assessments are critical, as they are used to calculate annual property tax bills.

Once the appeals process is complete, Sussex County will finalize all property assessments and adjust the property tax rate.

In keeping with Delaware state law, the county will adopt a new, revenue-neutral tax rate.

With property values increasing due to the reassessment, the rate will be reduced accordingly. The new tax rate will be finalized during the budget process in May, ahead of tax bills being issued in August.

For residents seeking more information on the reassessment, or to learn how to file an appeal, the county has launched a new tax bill estimate calculator on its website. More details can be found here.