Georgetown, Del., Feb. 25, 2025: Sussex County’s reassessment is nearly complete.

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/reassessment.

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