Delaware directs state to convene property assessment working group

The state, working with the counties, must convene a property assessment group. The group concerns property assessments in New Castle, Kent, and Sussex Counties. Voting members include majority and minority lawmakers, leaders from all three counties, the state finance secretary, a small business representative, and a taxpayer advocate. The group must also include one to three appraisers with professional credentials or land planners with mapping expertise. The state must convene the group within 60 days of this resolution’s adoption.

The group must prepare draft bills recommending state standards for property assessments. The proposed standards would concern property assessments in New Castle, Kent, and Sussex Counties. The group must review other states’ assessment rules that use professional appraisal standards. The proposals must cover valuation methods, accuracy checks, county operations, and ways for taxpayers to see assessment details and appeal. The draft bills are proposals; counties keep control of their assessment offices and reassessment schedules. The group aims to finish within six months after it convenes, with draft bills ready for introduction in the 154th General Assembly.