Sussex County Council’s Presentation and Update Related to Property Assessments
The Sussex County Council provided an update today related to property reassessments. If you go to the property search on the website, which is the same as it has been in the past, you can search by owner, address or parcel ID. Sussex County Finance Director Gina Jennings talked about what you’ll find…
All the property data is available on the Sussex County website, so if you have not received your notice by now, you can see the website to see the data.
The page available on reassessment includes past presentations, access to Board information, appeal applications, and videos: https://sussexcountyde.gov/reassessment
For assessments of each property, go to: https://property.sussexcountyde.gov/
And the estimated tax calculator: https://sussexcountyde.gov/property-tax-calculator
Property reassessments was a major topic at today’s Sussex County Council meeting. They’ve already done the informal reviews–with Tyler Technologies. The assessment rolls have been turned over and finalized. Now they can begin the formal appeal process. Sussex County Finance Director Gina Jennings explained what the next steps are for the property owner…
The Board of Assessment Review website is https://sussexcountyde.gov/board-assessment-review.
The appeal process has two steps: Step 1 involves referees that will meet one on one with the property owner. Step 2 will include a public hearing with the Board of Assessment Review.
At today’s Sussex County Council meeting, a vote was made regarding the Board of Assessment Review…
Sussex County Finance Director Gina Jennings explained that New Castle County allows the Board to set their own rules already in Title 9 of the State Code and Kent County had this language in Chapter 9 of the Kent Code, so they thought it was best to have it added to Sussex County’s code–for the Board to set their own rules. That Ordinance to Amend Chapter 103 (Taxation) of the code of Sussex County was passed.
Additional Information from Sussex County Government:
County Council, during its regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, received the latest update on the years-long project to revalue nearly 200,000 parcels countywide as the effort, brought about following a 2018 education funding lawsuit, tracks to finish this year. In short, the County has now received the final assessment rolls from the project’s contracted vendor, Tyler Technologies, and is moving into the final appeals phase, slated to begin in March.
“The public can now see years of work coming into full focus, from their preliminary assessment values to what their future tax bills may look like,” Finance Director/Chief Operating Officer Gina A. Jennings said. “We’re nearing the end, but a few important steps remain.”
Chief among those is the appeals process before the County’s Board of Assessment Review, which will meet throughout the spring to hear cases in which property owners can contest values if they believe they’re in error. Assessments, which are now reflected for each parcel and viewable on the County’s website, are used to calculate annual property tax bills.
Once the appeals process ends, all property assessments will be finalized and the County will adopt a new property tax rate, to maintain an overall ‘revenue neutral’ position in accordance with Delaware law. Currently, Sussex County’s annual property tax rate is set at 44.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, but with assessment values now increased, the rate will come down. That will occur as part of the budget process in May, ahead of tax bills issued this August.
For more information on the reassessment project, including how to file an appeal, as well as to use a new tax bill estimate calculator, visit www.sussexcountyde.gov/