Sussex County recently passed their 2014 budget which began July 1st, 2013. Part of the budget includes keeping the property taxes in Sussex County some of the lowest in the country. While other regional governments are trying to look for every dollar, Sussex County will be keeping the tax rate the same as it was in 1990.
Officials pointed to the strength of the local housing market as a contributing factor to an uptick in revenue. 2014 will be the 24th year where the county has kept the tax rate to 44.5 cents on $100 dollars of assessed value. The average tax bill for Sussex County residents in a single family home will remain approximately $100 annually.
Beyond the good news for home owners, the 117.7 million dollar budget also includes rate reductions for some 57,000 public waste-water customers. County Administrator, Todd Lawson explains:
Low tax rates and efficient government are very good thing, but it is time to update the assessments, which, as this article points out, are more than 24 years old. Relative land values have changed, particularly with the huge investment in widening the Coastal Highway, and our valuations are way out of date.Assessing land value well is not difficult or expensive to do. In some states, revaluations are mandated every 4 years.Sussex County needs to bring its valuations into the 21st century.
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