Out-of-state property owners should pay higher taxes

Brian Howard

October 7, 2025

Event Date:

Fri, 10/03/2025 - 12:45 pm

I have an idea to help put more money in the school and county coffers without adding expense to the people of Delaware.

Let’s take commercial fishing licenses as an example. If a Delaware resident pays $50, an out-of-state entity pays $500 for the same license, which is 10 times more. Could we look at applying this concept to property taxes? There are a lot of out-of-state people who own some of the nicest property in the state. They don't live here, they don't work here, they add almost nothing to our economies and communities. They, at best, become nuisance Airbnbs and just further contribute to congestion and strain on our infrastructure. And, honestly, if you can afford a vacation home, you can afford the higher taxes.

Maybe 10 times is a bit steep, but it should be at least double, if not triple, what a full-time Delaware resident pays.

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