Wilmington Struggles to Find Help for Tax Reassessment Plan

Mayor Carney's proposal to address unfair property tax hikes hits roadblocks as no companies bid on the city's request for proposal.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 8:33am

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Wilmington Mayor John Carney announced a plan in September 2025 to address soaring property tax assessments in the city's urban core, which led to higher tax bills for many residents. The city set aside $425,000 to hire a third-party company to reassess properties and seek neighborhood-wide tax assessment reductions. However, the city's request for proposal received only four inquiries and no bids, forcing Carney to regroup and consider other options like appraising properties individually, which he says will take a long time.

Why it matters

Wilmington's tax reassessment plan is a critical issue for the city's financial sustainability, as the new higher assessments have led to a drop in projected property tax revenue in the city's proposed budget. City Councilmember Christian Willauer has been outspoken about the need for tax assessment reform, arguing the city and county must urgently address both residents hit hard by the hikes and large commercial properties that got a tax break.

The details

In September 2025, Carney announced a plan to address tax assessments in what he and his administration thought were unfairly hit neighborhoods in Wilmington. Some assessments in the city's dense urban core soared during a statewide reassessment in 2025, leading to higher tax bills without the official city tax rate actually changing. The city sent out a request for proposal looking for a third-party company to reassess properties and seek neighborhood-wide tax assessment reductions, which would then be brought to the county. However, only four people inquired about the proposal, and no one submitted a bid.

  • In September 2025, Carney announced the plan to address unfair tax assessments.
  • In March 2026, Carney said only four people inquired about the city's request for proposal, and no one bid on the work.

The players

John Carney

The mayor of Wilmington who announced the plan to address unfair tax assessments in the city.

Christian Willauer

A Wilmington city councilmember who represents West Center City, Hilltop and Cool Spring and has been outspoken about the need for tax assessment reform.

Marcus Henry

The New Castle County Executive who presented budget address slides showing the county had resolved more than 2,600 formal property tax assessment appeals.

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What they’re saying

“We have a (request for proposal) out to get somebody to look at these assessments, and we got four people that asked for the information, and nobody put a bid in. So we've got to go back to the four, and we've got to say, 'Why didn't you bid?'”

— John Carney, Mayor of Wilmington

“It's vital to the city's financial sustainability that we get this right.”

— Christian Willauer, Wilmington City Councilmember

What’s next

The city may have to appraise some properties one-by-one, which Carney said will take a long time. The county has also been involved in assessment appeals for months, resolving more than 2,600 formal appeals.

The takeaway

Wilmington's efforts to address unfair property tax assessments through a neighborhood-wide reassessment plan have hit a roadblock, as the city failed to find any companies willing to bid on the work. This issue is critical for the city's financial sustainability, and officials must find a way to urgently address both residents hit hard by the tax hikes and large commercial properties that received tax breaks.