The University of Delaware owns nearly 35 percent of the untaxed property in Newark but is exempt from paying property taxes. City officials want to tax the university $50 per student, per semester. Dennis Assanis, UD’s president, said earlier this month that inflated employee health-care costs are behind the university’s hiring freeze and consideration of further “draconian measures” to balance its budget. But Newark, which is home to some 31,000 residents, including 23,613 UD students, is facing its own budget challenges, including a projected $8 million revenue gap in 2025. The Newark City Council wants to levy up to a $50 per-student, per-semester tax on the university to help offset the shortage.
