SUSSEX COUNTY, DE -- The end is near for Sussex County's property reassessment project as county officials provide updates on the final phases with the project slated to be completed next summer.
The years-long project is Sussex County's first since the 1970s.
According to county officials, 'tentative assessments' will be mailed out beginning in mid-November. The documents, once finalized, will be used as part of the equation in determining homeowners' annual tax bill. The new tentative assessment will be based off 100% of the current assessed value of the property as of July 1, 2023.
Sussex County Director of Assessment Chris Keeler tells WBOC property owners will have the opportunity to appeal the new assessment.
"If they believe that there is an issue with their value, they will have the opportunity to sit down one on one with a representative from Tyler Technologies to review that value," says Keeler. "If they're still not satisfied with that, they have an opportunity for a hearing with our board of assessment review."
Keeler expects the informal appeals process to be completed and assessments finalized by February of 2025. Sussex County will then look to adopt a new property tax rate. Currently, the annual rate is 44.5 cents per $100 of assessed value. But, higher assessments will force the county to lower its tax rate to meet a Delaware threshold.
"I would tell them to not multiply their new value by the current tax rate," adds Keeler. "Those tax rates will be changing. Those will be set during the budget process, which will happen next spring, and then the new values and new bills will be going out in August of next year.
Meanwhile, some Sussex County homeowners say they're prepared to appeal their new assessment, if necessary.
"We have a very average medium income home, and based on income, location, all that stuff, it's important to us that fairness needs to be based on value," says Selbyville resident Robert DiParma. "Not just population, or popularity, or ocean front."
Others are already looking toward the future.
"If taxes go up considerably, I'll have to see what I can save," says Arthur Pilzer. "If they were to go up extremely high over a period of time, I'd have to think about moving."
Sussex County officials say they are committed to being as fair, accurate, and affordable as possible.
