PRESS RELEASE: Councilwoman Christian Willauer Asks New Castle County to Fix Assessment Inequities Between Districts in the City of Wilmington and Greenville
Monday, September 21, 2026
Councilwoman Christian Willauer Asks New Castle County to Fix Assessment Inequities Between Districts in the City of Wilmington and Greenville
Wilmington, DE – Councilwoman Christian Willauer will host a press conference calling on New Castle County to address property assessment inequities between Wilmington neighborhoods and Greenville.
WHO: Councilwoman Christian Willauer, Wilmington City Council Members, residents, small business owners, and community advocates.
WHAT: Councilwoman Willauer will hold a press conference to share a complaint she is submitting about assessment inequities and requesting New Castle County to “equalize and make perfect the assessments.”
According to existing state law, “If any taxable shall make complaint to a board of assessment that the real estate in any election or representative district, as compared with other such districts, is not assessed in a fair and equitable manner, the board, or some member thereof, shall visit personally the district, and inspect personally the properties, the assessment of which is complained of, thereby to equalize and make perfect the assessments.” TITLE 9 Counties County Taxes CHAPTER 83. Valuation and Assessment of Property Subchapter I. General Provisions § 8318. Adjustment of assessment inequalities between districts.
The press conference will include release of a report highlighting patterns that are not fair and equitable in the assessments of properties located within three election districts located in the City of Wilmington compared to the assessments of properties located in two election districts located in Greenville.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026, at 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: City Council Chambers, Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.
Key Topics
- How reassessment caused the school taxes of some of Wilmington’s lowest income neighborhoods to skyrocket, while reducing the school taxes paid by parts of Greenville.
- How properties that actually sold during the study period for the reassessment were over-assessed in Wilmington and under-assessed in Greenville.
- How existing state law requires counties to review district-wide patterns of inaccuracy and fix them.
Councilwoman Christian Willauer Statement
“State law requires that all property subject to assessment shall be assessed at its fair market value as of the date of the most recent reassessment base year in the county. Fair market value is another way of saying what a property could be sold for. But for many properties in the 5th District, their assessments are far higher than what the property could be sold for.
The appeals process works when the problem is an error in the assessment of a single property. But state law also includes a provision for Counties to review and correct assessments across an entire neighborhood when there is evidence that assessments weren’t done in a fair or equitable manner:
Our report shows real differences in how properties have been assessed in neighborhoods located in three Election Districts in the City of Wilmington compared to 2 Election Districts in Greenville. The data shows that many properties that sold during the study period in Greenville were assessed for less than they sold for, while many properties in the City of Wilmington were assessed for more than they sold for.
Those same Wilmington neighborhoods where properties were assessed for more than they sold for had steep increases in their school taxes.
New Castle County has a responsibility to make sure the assessments it is using to charge people taxes are accurate. We are requesting that New Castle County review the assessments of all the properties in Hilltop, West Center City and Tilton neighborhoods of the 5th District and find and fix the errors.
As we include in our report, there is sales data available that clearly shows the difference in the value of renovated and unrenovated homes in these neighborhoods. The City has provided the County with permitting data that can be used to identify all the properties that have been renovated. The permitting data, combined with property characteristics like bedrooms and bathrooms, is sufficient information to determine accurate assessment values for homes in Wilmington. We are asking New Castle County to do it.”
Election District 03-06 (Hilltop) Resident Carmen Silva Statement
“As a resident of the Westside Hilltop area in Wilmington I am appalled by the property assessment value prepared by Tyler on behalf of New Castle County. I have been appealing to various departments in hopes of justice and a correction in these assessment as I am not able to pay such increase. This is an injustice to us seniors, disabled and families struggling to maintain our properties. All we want is justice, someone who will have these assessments done correctly and legally. We need a resolution to this matter now. ”
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MEDIA CONTACT:Yesenia TaverasDirector of Communications, Wilmington City CouncilOffice: (302)576-2585
Mobile: (302)757-5748Email: ytaveras@wilmingtonde.govCity Council Website: www.wilmingtoncitycouncil.com