A Letter to the Editor
by Jane Brady
Chair of the Delaware State Republican Party
We all know the government has the authority to raise taxes when it believes that it needs more money. A few years ago it did just that when the state budget had a shortfall. The legislators reduced the discount that senior citizens get on their property taxes from $500 to $400 and they increased the tax on the sale of real estate to one of the highest in the nation.
Today’s budget story is very different. Last year we had a budget surplus of $1 billion and this year it appears we will again have $1 billion surplus. The legislature chose to use the surplus last year for “one-time “ projects, that is expenditures that would not add to the base of the budget.
Delaware taxpayers have paid a lot of money into the Delaware treasury. They deserve some of it back. Well, I would argue that everyone should get a reduction in their taxes, at the very least we should restore the discount to senior citizens that we took away in the past and reduce the tax on the sale of homes and property.
I know it is rare for government to give back what it has taken, but the state budget surplus is excessive, and that surplus should be returned to the pockets of people who are struggling in this inflationary economy. Let your legislator know that you support restoring this discount and reducing the tax on the transfer of the real estate.
