AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS.

Plain English Breakdown

The exact date of when the changes take effect is not specified in the official source material.

School Property Tax Exemption Changes

This act allows counties in Delaware to adjust school property tax exemptions during a county-wide reassessment, protecting seniors and people with disabilities from significant increases in their taxes.

What This Bill Does

• Allows counties to change the amount of school property tax exemption for real estate that was exempt before January 1, 1998.
• Requires this adjustment to happen after a full county-wide reassessment of all properties.

Who It Names or Affects

• Seniors who own real estate that was exempt before January 1, 1998.
• People with disabilities who own real estate that was exempt before January 1, 1998.
• Counties in Delaware when they do a full reassessment of property values.

Terms To Know

Reassessment

A new evaluation of the value of all real estate in an area to make sure taxes are fair and up-to-date.

Exemption

An amount or percentage of property tax that does not have to be paid by certain people, like seniors or those with disabilities.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify when the changes will take effect.
• It is unclear how much protection this act will provide for individual taxpayers.

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS.
This Act gives a county, upon a county-wide reassessment of real property under § 8306(b) of Title 9, the authority to adopt an ordinance modifying the school property tax exemption amounts that were put in place on or before January 1, 1998. In doing so, this Act protects seniors and individuals with disabilities from significant school tax increases related to county-wide reassessments of property values.

Current Bill Text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. K. Williams & Rep. Heffernan & Sen. Walsh

Reps. Chukwuocha, Osienski, Michael Smith, Ortega; Sens. Cruce, Hansen, Hoffner, Mantzavinos, Richardson, Lockman, Poore

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 159

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend § 1902, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1902. Power of district to levy taxes for school purposes.

(a) Any district may, in addition to the amounts apportioned to it by the Department of Education or appropriated to it by the General Assembly, levy and collect additional taxes for school purposes upon the assessed value of all taxable real estate in the district, except any of the following:

(3) Real estate exempt from taxation under a county ordinance adopted on or before January 1, 1998, granting, clarifying, or expanding any exemption from county taxation.

Upon a county-wide reassessment under § 8306(b) of Title 9, a county shall, by subsequent county ordinance, modify these exemption amounts.

SYNOPSIS

This Act gives a county, upon a county-wide reassessment of real property under § 8306(b) of Title 9, the authority to adopt an ordinance modifying the school property tax exemption amounts that were put in place on or before January 1, 1998. In doing so, this Act protects seniors and individuals with disabilities from significant school tax increases related to county-wide reassessments of property values.