Reassessment on agenda in Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth Beach has not had a citywide property reassessment since the Nixon Administration.

City officials agree that an updated assessment is needed, but how they get there could be a bone of contention.

The city commissioners will consider approving issuing a request for proposal to conduct a reassessment at the 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 21 meeting.

Mayor Sam Cooper said he’s set to advertise for proposals to conduct the reassessment. He hopes to select an assessment firm by November, but said he's not sure that’s possible.

Commissioner Mark Hunker, who agrees a reassessment is in order – the city hasn’t reassessed since 1968 – said the process must be better explained to citizens. He said the process is being rushed.

“We need to explain how this will affect every citizen in town,” he said. “What is wrong with slowing down and explaining it to people? The assessment needs to be done, but it doesn’t need to be shoved down people’s throats.”

Hunker said reassessment will have an effect on everybody’s taxes; beach block homeowners – such as Cooper – will likely see theirs go up, while those who live further from the beach – like himself – may see theirs go down. He said the city should communicate how the reassessment will work, by sending letters to citizens, posting an explanation on the city website or holding a town hall meeting.

Cooper said for him, the reassessment process goes back to early this year when the Rehoboth-based firm PTA/DelVal, which does commercial assessments for the city, offered to reassess citywide at a cost of $40 per parcel, or around $128,000, which Cooper said was far less than earlier quotes. The commissioners set aside $132,000 in the 2012-13 budget for a potential reassessment.

In May, Cooper said the city needed to reassess for three reasons:

• The price of land has increased at a faster rate than the price of houses

• Assessment formulas have been applied inconsistently

• Assessment data must be updated.

Cooper said Hunker had offered to work with City Manager Greg Ferrese on a request for proposals. In the meantime, Cooper said he researched reassessments in Ocean View and in towns similar in circumstance to Rehoboth in Viginia and Wisconsin and emailed his findings to the commissioners with the intent of moving forward.

Hunker said he had intended to work on an RFP during the summer but he was unable to. He said it was his intention to work on it over the fall, but Cooper emailed the commissioners telling them he would be putting reassessment on the Sept. 21 agenda.

Hunker said the city has not clarified the appeals process or come up with a plan how to educate people on reassessment. He said the process should be done in full view of the public.

“Government isn’t done upstairs. Government is done in front of the people,” Hunker said.