Cranston Heights Fire Company has published their Santa runs! 6:20 PM December 9th Brookland Terrace

 

Reassessment value notices information

 

Reassessment value notices information

“The value notices based on the reassessment are on schedule and were mailed out on November 14th .  Please note that it may take a few days for you all to receive the mail.

 

The preliminary tentative values for every parcel will be available on the County website through Parcel Search at 3pm on Friday 11/15.

 

You have the right to a preliminary appeal if you feel that your reassessment is wrong.  The FAQ for the preliminary informal appeal is attached.  This document will also be available on the reassessment website.

 

There is one correction on the notice that needs to be noted.  The notice that is being mailed states that the assessed value of the entire County increased by 511%.  This was the calculation at the time the notices had to be sent to the mailing vendor to ensure the reassessment process remained on schedule.  

 

As you can imagine, based on reviews made following the first mailing there were and will continue to be ongoing adjustments based on then continuing review process.  As of today, the total increase has gone down to 379%.  It will continue to go down over the next few months with every adjustment made from Tyler’s reviews which will include the informal appeals.  It will then continue to change as we go through the Board Of Adjustment formal appeal process which, by state law, should be completed within 1 year of the reassessment.

 

As of right now, the best way to figure out if your increase to the

parcel’s assessment will change your taxes in a

“revenue neutral” environment is…

 

Take your current (old – 1983) assessed value, multiply it by 4.8 and then compare it to their new value. 

 

Example:          Old:                               100,000

                         Factor Increase:                    4.8

                         Result:                            480,000

                         _____________________________

 

Sample #1        New value:                450,000

                         Read:                            (taxes going down slightly)

 

Sample #2        New value:                500,000

                         Read:                            (taxes going up slightly)

 

 

Again, because we know the total increase in assessed value will continue to decrease, this calculation should be referenced only as an estimated impact on taxes.

 

Remember that by State law, the counties and municipalities that are included in the reassessment cannot take in more revenue in the year following a reassessment than they did pre-reassessment.

In order for the government to stay revenue neutral we must change our millage - the amount of tax payable per dollar of the assessed value of a property. 

 

As an example, Kent County completed their court ordered reassessment process prior to this year’s tax bill.  Because of the change in assessed values and the requirement to stay revenue neutral – pre-reassessment Kent County residents were paying 36 cents per $100 of assessed value.  They are now paying 5.72 cents per $100 of assessed value.”

 

Thank you,

 

 

-----------

 

 

 NEW CASTLE COUNTY PROPERTY REASSESSMENT
Tentative Assessed Value Notices & Informal Value Hearings

Frequently Asked Questions



 

 

WHAT IS A TENTATIVE ASSESSED VALUE NOTICE?  In the Fall of 2024, all New Castle County parcel owners will receive a “Tentative Assessed Value Notice” providing notice of the newly determined assessed value to be effective for tax year 2025.  The reason why the assessed value is “tentative” is because it has not yet been certified on the tax roll.  Thus, each parcel owner, or their assigned agent, can contest the tentative assessed value via an informal value hearing with a Tyler Technologies representative.  

WHAT IF I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THE NEW VALUE?  Informal value hearings will be conducted by Tyler from November 2024 through January 2025.  If a property owner is not satisfied with the results of an informal review, a formal appeal may be filed with the New Castle County’s Assessment Office.    

 

 

WHAT IS AN INFORMAL VALUE HEARING?  The purpose of Tyler Technologies conducting informal value hearings is to allow all property owners an opportunity to review their tentative assessed values for accuracy.  If you feel the proposed tentative assessed value does not reflect fair market value as of July 1, 2024, we encourage you to schedule an informal value hearing appointment.  Appointments can be arranged to be conducted in-person or by phone call, depending on your preference. 

 

 

HOW TO SCHEDULE AN INFORMAL VALUE HEARING APPOINTMENT.  Scheduling is open November 15, 2024 through December 20, 2024.  NO WALK-INS WILL BE ACCEPTED.  You may choose to have an in-person appointment or a phone call appointment.  In-person appointments will be held at 67 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720.  Phone call appointments will come from either a local 302 number or an unknown number.  Please be sure to answer any call that comes through at your scheduled appointment time. Two (2) attempts will be made to contact you at your scheduled appointment time.
 

 

To schedule by phone – call 1-855-670-2658.
Call Center hours are Monday – Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Online (Self Service) – visit: https://calendly.com/d/cngk-hvz-kxf
Online scheduling is available 24 hours a day during the scheduling period noted above.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION FOR INFORMAL HEARINGS:
Comparable sales (closed from January 1, 2022 – June 30, 2024).  Valid sales are known as “arm’s length” transactions that reflect market value.  The more recent closed sales are typically better indicators of value than older closed sales.  Comparable sales can be obtained by consulting with real estate professionals as well as “FREE websites” such as: www.Zillow.com  /  www.realtor.com  /  www.homes.com
Active listings – can be utilized as supporting evidence NOT direct evidence such as closed comparable sales.
Income & Expense statements – only used for income-producing properties.
Appraisals dated after July 1, 2023.
Photos – Recent images of dwelling(s), outbuildings, land, etc. are a great way of illustrating quality or condition issues.   
 

DOCUMENTATION THAT WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED:
Previous assessed value, established in 1983 base year.
Closed Sales that are not considered to be “arm’s-length”.  Examples of typical invalid sales are distressed properties, bank owned, sheriff sales, foreclosures, short sales, family transactions, court order, change after sale.
Comparing properties which have not sold as an “arm’s-length” transaction.  Comparison of neighboring property values and/or building characteristics.
Tax Impact / Exemptions / Abatements – These are not taken into consideration when establishing market value.  Exemptions & abatements will be applied to each parcel, as eligible and qualified, by New Castle County.
Estimated values from online search, such as “Redfin, Zillow, Zestimate, HomeLight, Realtor.com, etc.”

 

 

WHEN WILL I LEARN THE RESULTS OF THE INFORMAL REVIEW?  No value changes will be made at the informal review, but all information you supply will be reviewed and a determination will be made whether to revise your assessed value. The result of your informal value hearing will be sent to you in writing via USPS mail after the occurrence of your informal value hearing.  

HOW CAN I TELL 

 

IF MY NEW VALUE IS CORRECT?  You should ask yourself: could I or would I sell my property for my new assessed value?  You can check this against sales of similar properties in your neighborhood.  To help you compare, listings of preliminary values and other data for all properties in the County will be available for comparison on the internet on New Castle County’s Parcel Search website.  Properties currently for sale can be found on the internet via various third-party real estate sites.    

HOW IS MY 

 

PROPERTY’S VALUE DETERMINED?  The market value of your property is determined by using the property characteristic data that was collected earlier in the project by applying at least one of the three approaches to value: sales, cost, or income.  Digital photos were taken of all improved properties (parcels with structures), and then data mailers (specific to residential properties, only) have been sent to verify that the observed, collected data is correct.  Tyler analyzes recent sales of similar properties, and considered construction costs and income and expense information, where appropriate.  

 

 

WHAT IS MARKET VALUE?  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.  9 Del. C. § 8306(a).  The Delaware Supreme Court has defined “fair market value” as “the price which would be agreed upon by a willing seller and a willing buyer, under ordinary circumstances, neither party being under any compulsion to buy or sell.”  Seaford Assocs., L.P. v. Bd. of Assessment Review, 539 A.2d 1045, 1048 (Del. 1988).    

 

  

HOW WILL REASSESSMENT AFFECT MY TAXES?  By itself, a reassessment is revenue neutral, although it will cause tax burden shifts among properties.  Some owners will see increases while others will see decreases, and yet others will remain approximately the same. County property tax bills reflecting new assessed values, and corresponding decreased tax rates, will be mailed in July, 2025    WILL THE COUNTY, SCHOOLS, AND MUNICIPALITIES COLLECT MORE TAXES AS A RESULT OF REASSESSMENT?  Not directly. A reassessment does not increase or decrease tax revenue; it only redistributes the total tax burden more fairly.  As property values go up, the tax rate goes down.  New Castle County has already committed to not raising property taxes because of reassessment.  School districts and municipalities have authority under Delaware law to raise taxes following a reassessment, and New Castle County has no control over those decisions.  Concerns about property tax increases by school districts and municipalities should be raised with your school board or municipal governing body (e.g. city council).    

 

 




SHOULD THE TENTATIVE ASSESSED VALUE BE THE SAME AS THE PURCHASE PRICE FOR MY PROPERTY?  The goal of the assessment equity project is to determine the fair market value of every property in New Castle County.  If you purchased your house within the past year and if the purchase was on the open market and had no unusual conditions, the appraised value on your notice should be reasonably close to the sale price, but probably will not be the exact amount.  Just because one person is willing to pay a certain amount for a property doesn’t mean that most buyers would be willing to pay the same price.  During the valuation process, each property is compared to up to five similar properties to determine the most probable selling price.  
While sale prices may vary slightly, even for identical properties, the Assessment Office must be equitable in their valuations.  Therefore, similar properties will have similar appraised values, even if they might sell for a little more or less than the appraised value.  Along the same lines, even if you appealed your value (assessment) in a prior year to the Assessor’s Office, or to the Board of Assessment Review, and the value was adjusted, the revaluation appraises each property as if it had not been valued before.  Any prior changes are not considered since those changes were based on the old, outdated valuation system.  The new value you receive should be a reasonable estimate of market value and equitable with surrounding properties of a similar type.    

ARE EXEMPTIONS INCLUDED IN THIS PRELIMINARY VALUE?  Any existing exemptions are not included in your preliminary value but will be in the taxable value you receive from the County after the reassessment in 2025 (taxable value equals the assessed value less any exemptions that may be applicable).  Questions concerning exemptions must be directed to the Assessment Office.     

WHAT IF I AM STILL NOT SATISFIED WITH MY ASSESSMENT?  If you disagree with the results of the informal value review, your next step is to file a formal appeal with the Board of Assessment Review.  The deadline for filing an appeal is March 14th of the tax year for which you are filing an appeal.    


* The project dates contained in this FAQ are subject to change. *

New Casatle County responce from 21 October 2024 Meeting

Good afternoon Chuck, we compiled a summary of questions and answers from the public meeting on October 20^th (attached). They will also be added to the project webpage.

 

We’re incorporating changes noted from the public meeting into the plans and specifications. We hope to advertise the project for construction early in the new year. We will continue to update our webpage as the project progresses, but if there are any additional questions, please reach out.

 

V/R,

 

Jason P. Zern, P.E.

Senior Manager

New Castle County Public Works

(302) 395-5780

Creating a Cleaner, Greener

      New Castle County

 

 

 

 

 

 Q&A Summar Public Meeting – Little Mill Stream Restoration October 21, 2024

• Question: How long will the project take to construct? We have heard it will take 5 years.

Response: Construction has been estimated to take 12 months.

• Question: Are any additional pedestrian bridges proposed besides the two existing bridges to be
replaced?

Response: No additional bridges are proposed as part of the project besides the two existing
bridges that need to be replaced to accommodate grading for the restored floodplain. One of
the new bridges will hold park maintenance equipment/vehicles.
 

•Question: Will construction cause vibrations that will damage structures (walls, fences, etc.) on
adjacent resident properties?
 

Response: The contractor will be required to take pictures/videos of the area surrounding their
construction zone before construction. These pictures/videos will be used during and after
construction to determine if any structure was damaged. During construction, the contractor will
be required to follow best practices to ensure that vibration is not damaging to structures.
 

• Question: Will the proposed stream restoration maintain walking access to residents on the west
side of Little Mill Creek north of Rhode Island Avenue? Residents currently access the park
through a cleared area maintained by a local resident.

Response: The County has asked the design engineer to modify the plans in order to maintain a
cleared grass area suitable for walking access from the west side to the bridge near Rhode Island
Avenue.

• Question: Will property owners adjacent to the park need to obtain flood insurance due to the
project?

Response: No change in flood insurance requirements for homeowners adjacent to the project
are anticipated as the project results in net excavation (removal of existing sediment/soil).
 

• Question: How will the project impact flooding near the intersection of Wagoner Drive and
Centre Road that currently experiences storm drain surcharges during heavy rain events?
 

Response: Water surface elevations at the downstream limit of the project are controlled by the
Centre Road bridge. No changes are proposed to the existing bridge configuration and only
minor changes at the existing storm drain outfalls are proposed. The minor outfall changes are
proposed to ensure the storm drainpipes can discharge to the restored floodplain and/or
channel. Therefore, it is anticipated that the project will not have noticeable impacts on water
surface elevations near the intersection of Wagoner Drive and Centre Road.
 

 

• Question: Will the existing park amenities remain after the project?
 

Response: Yes, the two existing basketball courts and existing playground will remain after the
project’s completion. Additionally, the proposed trail will increase accessibility to these
amenities.
 

 

 

Q&A Summary
Public Meeting – Little Mill Stream Restoration
October 21, 2024
 

 

• Question: How will the use of motorized vehicles be limited on the proposed trail?
 

Response: The County will place bollards and signage to dissuade motorized vehicles from
traversing on the pathways. Violations will be pursued by NCCPD.
 

• Question: Why not just excavate the channel in its current location?
 

Response: Excavating the existing channel would not result in the same ecological uplift as
performing a holistic stream restoration such as the proposed stream-floodplain-wetland
approach and it would not provide the required Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) credits as
required by the MS4 permit. Additionally, excavating the existing channel would be more
detrimental to the channel and park as additional flood flows would be conveyed in the channel,
causing additional streambank erosion and loss of adjacent trees.
 

• Question: Are “waterfall” features in the existing stream going to be maintained?
 

Response: The “waterfall” features observed during the 10/21/24 field walk are a result of
concrete encased sanitary sewer pipes being uncovered in the channel which increases the risk
of failure. The proposed stream and floodplain are designed to provide additional cover over the
exposed sanitary sewer lines to limit future maintenance needs for New Castle County and
reduce the risk of a sanitary sewer overflow. So therefore, the existing “waterfall” features will
not be maintained.
 

• Question: Will residents be able to walk through the restored floodplain?
 

Response: The restored floodplain will be highly vegetated with native trees, shrubs, and tall
grasses which will make walking through the restored floodplain difficult. However, nothing will
block pedestrians from accessing the restored floodplain.
 

• Question: When is construction supposed to start?
 

Response: Spring/Summer 2025
 

• Question: Will the entire park be under construction at one time?
 

Response: Though the County cannot dictate the contractor’s means and methods, the intent is
for the contractor to phase the construction by working on a small section of the stream at a
time. The playground and basketball courts will remain available most of the time during
construction.
 

• Question: Can the property owners be involved in the species selection that will be used for
screening purposes between their property and the proposed trail?
 

Response: The County will work with interested stakeholders in locations where the trail is in
close proximity to their property.
 

• Question: Can the “beach” area be preserved?
 

Response: The “beach” area is a result of sediment depositing on the inside of a tortuous
meander bend. Tortuous meanders result in streambank erosion along the outside of the
meander bends which contribute to lateral migration of the channel. 

The proposed alignment for Little Mill Creek and its tributaries aims to eliminate tortuous meander bends to reduce streambank erosion, lateral channel migration, tree loss, and to meet the TMDL requirements. Therefore, the “beach” area cannot be preserved.
 

 

• Question: Has a wildlife survey been completed, and if not, when will one be conducted?
 

Response: Wildlife surveys are not typically conducted before stream restoration projects, and
they are not required by regulatory agencies. Wildlife habitat is severely degraded in this stretch
of stream and parkland so the project will only increase biodiversity when the habitat is
improved. Pre and post water quality monitoring surveys will be undertaken which can act as a
surrogate for the health and diversity of aquatic life.
 

• Question: Will the County install fencing for homeowners as part of this project?
 

Response: New Castle County is not erecting fencing during this project. Fencing would restrict
access to the parkland. The County will be installing vegetated screening in areas where the
pathway is near propert

 

https://www.newcastlede.gov/2738/Woodland-Run-Stream-Restoration

Newport River Trail Project Update on November 12, 2024, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Minquas Fire Company.

Share you thoughts on the Newport River Trail Project Update on Monday November 12, 2024, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Minquas Fire Company. For more information visit 

 

 

https://www.newcastlede.gov/2366/Newport-River-Trail

 

 

 

Community Notification Sign-Up Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services

Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families
Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services
1825 Faulkland Rd.
Wilmington, DE  19805

Community Notification Sign-Up

The Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services is pleased to be able to provide a community notification system for our surrounding neighborhoods and community.

By completion of this form,  you consent to your information to be added to a communication software that will allow the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services to communicate with you in the event of a youth walk off, youth escape, or any other emergency occurring on the Ferris School campus. The software is a proven communication solution that enables the division to reach any audience, on any device, in any location for critical event management.

If at any time you move out of the community or choose to no longer receive notification, please contact the Division by following the opt out instructions at the bottom right of this page.


Mail:    DSCYF/DYRS
1825 Faulkland Rd.
Wilmington, DE  19805
Fax:    302-633-2636
Email:    YRS.DSCYF@delaware.gov

Kirkwood Hwy Draft Recommendations Workshop on Thursday, November 14, 2024 from 4-7 p.m at Cranston Heights FC

 Kirkwood Hwy Draft Recommendations Workshop on Thursday, 

November 14, 2024 from 4-7 p.m at Cranston Heights FC

 Register Now

 

 

 

 

 

Join us for the Draft Recommendations Workshop on Thursday, November 14, 2024 from 4-7 p.m.  A presentation will be delivered at 4:15 p.m. and repeated at 5:45 p.m. Cranston Heights Fire Company Memorial Hall 3306 Kirkwood Highway, Wilmington, DE 19808

 

Stop by to let us know what you think of the draft recommendations for transportation improvements and land use policy strategies for the study area.  Register Now

Little Mill Creek​ Stream Restoration​ Public Meeting​ ​ ​ Monday 4:30 PM October 21st 2024 Handouts & Boards

From

 

https://www.newcastlede.gov/2738/Woodland-Run-Stream-Restoration

 

WOODLAND RUN STREAM RESTORATION

Project Overview:

The project is located in our Woodland Run Park and is proposed to restore approximately 8,500 linear feet of the Little Mill Creek, its tributaries, and outfall channels. The currently deeply incised channel will be restored and connected to recreated floodplain, will reduce erosive flows, reduce downstream flooding, and recharge groundwater. Aside from the direct ecological benefits to the park, including installation of beneficial native plants, the project will help New Castle County meet regulatory NPDES program and make water quality improvements in the Little Mill to help meet its TMDL (total maximum daily load).