HB 170 – County Use of Realty Transfer Tax Proceeds

Whenever I see Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf team up with downstate Republicans, I wonder what kind of shenanigans are afoot. But the sponsorship of this also includes Paul Baumbach, Dave Sokola and Sarah McBride, three people I would not think would sponsor a shenanigan bill.

So what does House Bill 170 do?  It would allow the three counties (New Castle, Kent, Sussex) to use the revenue from the Realty Transfer Tax to fund much needed property tax reassessments. That sounds fine. Property reassessments do need to be made, even more so now that we are in a skyrocketing seller’s market that are driving property prices and thus values into the stratosphere.

But I am still just a little suspicious.

House Bill 170 Sponsors	Yes Votes	No Votes
Schwartzkopf, Baumbach, Collins, Dukes, Osienski, D.Short, Smyk, Vanderwende, Yearick
Lopez, Ennis, Hocker, S.McBride, Pettyjohn, Sokola, Wilson
Current Status — Out of Committee 4/27/21