County subpoena power bill passes General Assembly

A bill giving subpoena power to counties in order to determine a fair market property price passed the Senate 16-1 with three not voting and one absent March 11.

Senate Bill 230 passed the House a day earlier with 37 votes and four absent, and now heads to the governor for his signature.

Sponsored by Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos, D-Hockessin, with support from Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes, and Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall, D-Rehoboth Beach, the bill allows county finance officials to access testimony and documentary evidence used to determine the fair market value of real property. 

“Our constituents are hurting as a result of higher property tax bills, and this legislation is a key component in making things right when it comes to under- and over-assessed property values,” said Mantzavinos in a press release. “It is necessary that we give our counties the ability to investigate and rectify potential missteps during the reassessment process.”

The legislation was amended in the House of Representatives to restrict subpoena powers to only non-residential properties, require counties to submit an annual report on the bill’s implementation, and to clarify that it would sunset after two years.