Wilmington Council Advances Property Tax Relief Measure For Elderly And Disabled Residents

A proposal to expand property tax exemptions for Wilmington’s elderly and disabled residents is moving forward following a vote by the City Council’s Finance and Economic Development Committee. (Photo by jcomp on FREEPIK)

WILMINGTON — A proposal to expand property tax exemptions for Wilmington’s elderly and disabled residents is moving forward following a vote by the City Council’s Finance and Economic Development Committee on Monday, June 2.

Ordinance 25-024, which was voted out of committee and heads to the full council for consideration on June 5, updates income and property value thresholds for qualifying residents seeking exemption from real estate taxes.

Council Member Yolanda M. McCoy, who spoke in support of the measure, explained that the ordinance was introduced in response to the city’s recent property reassessment, which significantly increased property values across Wilmington.

“This piece of legislation is kind of on the back end of what will happen with our reassessment,” McCoy said. “As the reassessment was performed, it basically increased property valuations throughout the city, and so the elderly and the disabled—who already had an exemption in place for property taxes and a deduction on their water bills—weren’t seeing enough relief under the old limits.”

McCoy said the ordinance raises the real estate tax exemption cap from about $40,500 to $210,300 and adjusts the income eligibility to align with 100% of the federal poverty level—$15,650 for individuals and $21,150 for married couples.

“This would hopefully give more opportunities for people to actually register and be able to get that tax exemption,” she said.

Previously, the exemption applied to properties valued up to approximately $40,500. The new ordinance increases that cap to $210,300, aligning more closely with the updated assessments.

In addition to raising the property value threshold, the ordinance also adjusts the income eligibility criteria. Under the revised guidelines, residents must have income levels at or below 100% of the federal poverty level—$15,650 for individuals and $21,150 for married couples.

The ordinance drew no opposition from committee members or the public and passed unanimously.

The exemption also continues to include a deduction on water bills for eligible residents.

If approved by the full City Council, the ordinance will take effect ahead of the next property tax cycle, providing targeted relief to some of Wilmington’s most vulnerable homeowners.