DeShanna Neal, a Delaware state representative, announced her abstention from voting on a bill designed to limit property tax increases linked to public school funding. This information was confirmed by the legislative roll call on LegiScan.
According to Delaware Public Media and state legislative records, HB 245 was introduced during a special session convened to address public anger over reassessment-driven tax increases. Delaware’s current law lets school districts automatically raise school property tax revenue by up to 10% after a general reassessment, even if they are not facing a budget shortfall. HB 245, sponsored by Republicans Mike Smith and Kevin Hensley, would have tied any such increase to a projected deficit so new revenue could only be used to balance school budgets. The bill received a first reading and was sent to the House Education Committee, where it stalled and never reached a full floor vote.
Legislative records show that after HB 245 was assigned to the House Education Committee, supporters attempted to bring it forward through a motion to suspend the rules in the full House. That motion, which would have allowed the chamber to consider the bill despite normal scheduling and committee bottlenecks, failed on a vote of 15 yes, 6 no, 18 not voting, and 2 absent. Because a simple majority of 21 yes votes was required, the motion fell short and HB 245 was blocked from further action. Republican backers argue that Democratic reluctance to support even this procedural step effectively killed a taxpayer-protection measure without allowing a full debate on the merits.
Reporting by News from the States and WHYY found that HB 245 emerged from widespread “sticker shock” after Delaware’s first comprehensive reassessment in decades, as some school districts chose to use the full 10% increase authorized under current law. WHYY documented seniors whose reassessed property values jumped by 500–700% over their original purchase prices, raising fears that even capped annual tax hikes could, over time, erode affordability for fixed-income residents. Residents worried that districts might repeatedly apply the 10% authority or look for workarounds to grow revenue. Supporters of HB 245 cited these figures as evidence that stronger statutory guardrails were needed to protect homeowners from compounding school tax pressures.
Representative DeShanna Neal represents Delaware House District 13 in the General Assembly and was first elected in 2022. The district is located in New Castle County and has consistently leaned Democratic in recent elections, with Neal winning reelection in 2024 by more than twelve points. As a legislator, Neal focuses on issues including social services and education; however, her abstention on HB 245 set her apart from Republican-led efforts to limit automatic tax increases. She will be up for reelection in 2026, during which tax policy is likely to be a significant voter concern.
