Committee reviews FY2027 revenue ordinance; CFO explains municipal tax impacts

The New Castle County Finance Committee spent substantial time on May 26 reviewing Ordinance 26‑034, the county's annual revenue ordinance that sets tax rates for fiscal year 2027 (effective July 1, 2026).

Chair George Smiley explained the proposed tax-rate changes for unincorporated areas and municipalities, saying the unincorporated rate would rise from 15.75¢ to 18.64¢ per $100 of assessed value under the budget before the committee. "That's the increase," the chair said, noting the county runs a dual tax-rate structure with lower residential rates than commercial.

Dave Del Grande, the county chief financial officer, walked council members through the "local service function" that credits municipalities for services they provide and influences local tax outcomes. He gave municipal examples: he said residents of the City of Newcastle would see about a 21.4% increase — roughly $45 annually on the average assessed value — while Odessa's change was about 18.1% (about $67 annually). Del Grande offered to provide a matrix showing credits and calculations so council members could review municipality-specific impacts before voting.

What happens next: Committee members requested additional data (a municipal matrix of local-service credits) to inform final votes on the revenue ordinance and related budget items. No final adoption of the revenue ordinance was recorded at the May 26 meeting.