On Thursday, Dec. 18, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is expected to adopt a new three-year agreement that will further expand the county’s use of aerial imaging technology to identify unreported buildings and property improvements for tax purposes.
That way they can figure out who’s been naughty or nice when it comes to informing the Tax Department.
The item, sponsored by Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis, authorizes a sole-source agreement with Pictometry International Corporation to provide annual countywide aerial photography at a total cost of $837,300 over three years.
County staff say no additional county funds will be required since the expense was already approved as part of the reappraisal budget process.
Over the last several years, the Guilford County Tax Department has increasingly relied on technology to strengthen its property tax oversight. That effort has included both a more aggressive posture toward tax foreclosures – as well as expanded use of advanced imaging systems designed to locate taxable property that might not yet be on the county’s tax rolls.
The aerial imaging program works by flying over the county during winter months, when leaves are off the trees and ground-level features are more visible.
High-resolution photographs are taken of every parcel in the county, capturing rooftops, additions, accessory buildings, pools, garages and other improvements.
Specialized software used by the Tax Department then compares the newest images with images from previous years to flag changes that may indicate new construction or additions.
County officials say many of the improvements identified through the system aren’t the result of intentional wrongdoing: In some cases, property owners might not realize that additions such as sheds, workshops, garages, or expansions to existing structures must be reported for tax purposes.
In other cases, however, improvements have been deliberately omitted from tax records in order to avoid higher tax bills.
The annual update of aerial imagery is intended to help the Tax Department identify those changes to the tax base more efficiently – allowing staff to focus on verification and valuation rather than manual discovery.
According to county materials prepared for the December 18 meeting, the goal is to capture new buildings and improvements more effectively and ensure that the overall tax base accurately reflects the built environment across Guilford County.
Pictometry International Corporation is being recommended as a sole-source provider because its Eagleview software integrates exclusively with the Farragut North Carolina Property Tax System, or NCPTS – which Guilford County uses for property tax administration.
Under North Carolina law, formal bidding requirements don’t apply when a needed product is available from only one source or supplier.
Tax Department staff say that the integration between Eagleview and the existing tax system allows aerial data to be used directly within the county’s property records workflow. That, they say, reduces the duplication of effort and minimizes the need for manual data transfers or custom programming.
That integration, according to county officials, was a key factor in recommending continuation of the relationship.
The move to annual aerial photography represents an expansion of an approach already used by Guilford County and many other jurisdictions nationwide.
The Guilford County Tax Department has a stellar record of collecting taxes: It often ends up with a collection rate of over 99 percent and it frequently finishes in the top ten in the state in that category of collections.
As property values rise and local governments face increasing pressure to maintain revenue without raising tax rates, more tax departments have turned to aerial imagery, geographic information systems, and automated change-detection tools to ensure assessments are complete and accurate.
Supporters of the technology argue that it promotes fairness by ensuring that similar properties are taxed similarly, regardless of whether improvements were voluntarily reported. They also contend that the systems help reduce reliance on complaint-driven enforcement, which can create uneven outcomes across neighborhoods.
Critics of aerial assessment programs country have occasionally raised concerns about privacy and over-reliance on automated data. County officials have previously emphasized that aerial imagery is used as a discovery tool rather than a final assessment, with staff verification required before any changes are made to tax records.
According to the meeting agenda materials, the agreement will allow the Tax Department to maximize its existing human resources and work more efficiently, rather than expanding staff to conduct widespread in-person inspections.
By updating imagery annually, staff can more quickly identify changes and address them closer to the time they occur.
If adopted, as expected, the agreement will take effect for three years and continue Guilford County’s shift toward technology-driven tax administration. The December 18 vote is scheduled as part of the Board of Commissioners’ regular meeting consent agenda, and items on that agenda almost always pass.
Speaking of taxes, the worst are insidious things we did not vote for, the most cruel of all forms of taxation: INFLATION.
Most people wonder why prices continue to go up. They are not, is the DOLLAR that is going down. Every dollar in, and added to the national debt has to be created by the Federal Reserve, which is a sneaky name for a National Bank. A bank of fiat money.
An example is the price of a Big Mac. In 1980, the retail price was $.50, today the McD website lists it @6.74. But, the “Big” Mac is now 40% smaller. So for comparison of the price of what you get, reduce the price of 1980 to $.30. $.30 v/s $6.75 is 22.5 times as much money – 2,250%. The U.S govt calculator indicates just over 400% increased pricing. Anyone who believes govt (and reported inflation) figures, has never purchased anything, or lives in Fantasy Land. Not all of this is inflation of course, there are numerous costs of doing business that did not exist in 1980, onerous taxation for one, etc. Have your net wages gone up 2,250% since 1980?
On another note, I have written before that Goodwill pulls are their “better” FREE donations, and sells them at auction on line. Hardly anything left in their stores worth buying, looks like junk from the basement. Meanwhile, the CEO makes upwards from $743,000/year. Other layers of management, etc. The help hardly makes enough to pay their transportation to/from work, and have much left for needs. “Goodwill” is what-a-racket. They want up to $4.50 for a used T-shirt, which I can buy new at NMB @3/$10.
Lower and middle classes are being wiped out, only the well-placed can survive. The rate of inflation can only get worse. NO administration can fix it.
And a tip of the hat to the Federal Reserve.
Why do you leave off the conservative strategy of reducing tax revenue while increasing spending? The National debt is the core issue. The Feb is just propping up the imbalance of revenue and spending. Tax cuts benefit the wealthy and corporate contributors to political parties. We need to balance the budget during ‘good years’ so we can borrow during down years. Then the fed doesn’t HAVE to borrow (ie print) so much money.
Not complicated.
Chris do you know the last time either the state or National budget was balanced. What President was in office
Can you tell us without the help of AI. I can. I voted for him
Federal budget was last balanced under Bill Clinton. State budget is balanced every year by law.
You voted for Bill Clinton? Interesting.
I did indeed. Twice You sound surprised, not sure why you have no idea of my political leaning Next to R.Reagan, Clinton was a good President for America
I agree on Clinton but Reagan’s policies while highly beneficial in the short-term has led to our growing deficient spending problems and a long deep legacy of misinformation and propaganda on the value of US Social programs.
We already know how much our local government loves to waste our taxpayer dollars. They’re like spoiled children with their hand out at every turn. Now they’ve chosen to spend $837,300 in an attempt to catch “evaders”. I’d love to know how many they have to catch just a break even.
I tip my imaginary hat to you for doing your research!
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Thanks to Miller for a thoughtful, well researched comment.
When the Government tells you that the inflation it has created is just 3 per cent annually, you just know they’re lying.
Lying, lying, lying. It’s what they do.
Austin,
Any time a government representative’s lips are moving there is a strong possibility they are lying.
In the case of the County Commissars it’s a very STRONG probability.
We can agree on this one. Just today Trump bragged inflation was down below 3% but the numbers released today excluded food, electricity, etc… basically anything that was up in terms of costs was excluded. Pure con game.
Had to have an emergency broadcast to ‘claim’ everything is great in the economy. Gaslighting is a poor strategy. We all know our bills are going up because of current (and past) policies.
@3% compound interest, it would take 24 years for something to double. @2250%, it would take 31 days.
Interesting you tip your hat to the Fed and not to the Duopoly in Congress that invariably spends more than the revenue it receives. For many years US revenues have been increasing at approximately 10% per annum, but Congress always spends more than is available and the excess is borrowed. So, here’s a tip of the hat to the dysfunctional Duopoly, both sides of which seem to believe the delusional mantras that (1) we can borrow our way out of Insolvency; and (2) We can spend our way into Prosperity.
The Federal Reserve “funds” deficit spending. That is called inflation. The Fed lends money to banks so they can lend it out, again, and again, etc. That is called inflation. Inflation is a soft word for TAX.
miller,
two words…….gold standard
You can go on your own gold standard. Swap some of your fiat money for it.
I have been investing in gold since Trump took office again and have done fairly well with the strategy. Largest growth in decades.
You totally missed my point.
I was being cheeky. But poorly for sure. I am not a supporter of the Gold Standard but to be honest I don’t fully understand what would be involved moving our modern economy back to the standard as there are a wide range of views by experts, so I just buy gold when the economy is going south like it is today.
we should go to the chocolate standard because it has > value in times of starvation & is addicting
Invasion of privacy to further the cause. Theft of John Q’s money under the threat of fines, leins, foreclosure, or imprisonment. Sounds like a wonderful way to treat the citizens who already pay too much and fund way too many senseless programs. How about enforcing welfare fraud, or not funding purple haired transgender salamander erection research or whatever the oddities of the day may be. Rather than raising teacher salaries, how about firing school administrators who’s schools do not perform. Lots of ways to save a buck. Go find it within your budgets & give most of ours back.
Just Sayin, no need for my comment as you covered all the bases. It only cost $837k over 3 years. Chump change to Skip but it’s your money not his.
Just make me King of Guilford County.
ok you are King go fight while i entertain @ court. this is your wife’s idea
“I don’t want, you can have her, she’s too fat for me.”
(don’t tell anyone I told you this)
Find another means to fund county government rather than property taxes. The property tax system is so unfair. And now Big Brother in the form of surveillance will be hunting for potential violators. All of this is to collect more property tax money from homeowners primarily. Let’s tax property that is currently exempt from property tax: Woolworth Museum; posh retirement homes occupying hundreds of acres; country clubs with their well-kept greens; Mosques with their golden domes, synagogues, and churches as well as all property used for religious purposes; houses that are given nonprofit status because it allegedly has some significant historical value. The list is a long one. How many nonprofits launder money? The Somalis in Minnesota were able to defraud the government out of billions of dollars (mine and your tax dollars because the money was federal dollars) while under the guise of nonprofit. The property tax system is broken. Property owners that are not nonprofits cannot continue to carry the burden of higher and higher taxes to pay for failing schools and failing county government.
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Yep.
Property Tax is extortion, pure and simple.
It’s Mafia-like behaviour : “Heyyy… you gotta nice place there! Hand over Five Grand or we’ll take it from you”.
Not much difference between Government and The Mafia, in the end. The Mafia at least admit that they’re criminals.
TERMLIMITS,
How can you know if this is a “government ” spy craft hovering over your property or some pervert invading your privacy. IMO it’s better to error on the side of caution and assume the worst, that being an illegal search by a government entity.
When in doubt, file in federal court for 4th Amendment violations…oh wait, that will just give King Skip another excuse to raise taxes to pay the settlement.
The main property tax “rogues” are those in city government who keep raising it to pay for their pay raises, their jaunts to exotic places for meetings, and to pay for the incentive packages for businesses who have no intention of staying after the packages have run their course!
How about this we bought our houses with money that’s already been taxed we furnish and do everything with money that’s already been taxed. Property taxes are nothing other than extortion of the public let’s do away with property taxes all together and quit letting the government steal our money. This is double taxation and it is against the law and until we the people stand up and say f*** you we’re not paying it no more they’re going to keep on f****** us
So you want local governments to be funded by income tax? Or are you pretending you don’t need local city or county services?
Income tax to pay for county government? Really? Did someone write that?
Chris what county services other than the fire department do I really need.
police, jails, courts, water and sewer, roads, elections administration, records management (deeds, birth/death certificates), public education, emergency services (EMS, 911 centers), waste management, libraries, parks and rec, soil and water conservation, tax collection, and of course social services that helps keep families off the streets. They also provide Land use services to keep builders in line with standards, etc….
You can pretend you don’t need local government but that is a lie told by libertarians who just don’t like supporting social welfare programs and love to claim mass fraud without any evidence. They also claim all government employees are lazing leeches with no real understand or appreciation of people in government services actually do. Just look at all the staff fired and rehired after DOGE cut them and oops, found out those people actually have important roles.
But you be you.
The debate in my mind’s eye is who pays county taxes, not what the taxes pay for, which is another debate entirely. Either every property owner be it an individual; corporation; nonprofit, including property used for religious purposes; country clubs; posh retirement facilities; and every property owner that skirts property taxes by some means pays property taxes or no one pays property taxes. The state and local governments must work together to find an alternative. If they need to be copycats of Florida, Texas and other states that have seen the light, so be it. I really don’t care. Just do it. Homeowners who pay property taxes are drowning in debt to the taxman, i.e. Skip Alston and the Guilford County Commissioners.
Skip’s tax grab is the top reason I was happy to leave Guilford County after the first massive tax hike. While not the reason I left, it sure did make it an easy decision.
mental health
let’s become buddhist monks/nuns without taxable property. i have several mantras that make the sun shine.
This communism way of doing things. City and county commissioners are out of control. They are killing retirees who can barley pay the taxes now. What will they do when they put us on the street begging?
Gary,
They will charge you a fee for a license to beg
Na, they dropped that ‘fee’ in 2018.
You once again missed the point. They imposed it, then dropped it, but they can reimpose it again. Try reading what was written, not what you want to think was written.
Lord Skip can do anything he wants.
Ok, I will play along:
“They WILL charge you a fee for license to beg” is what you said.
Nope. They won’t but they might is what you are now saying which is different. They key word in your statement was WILL…..they won’t but they might would have been the right way to word what you are now claiming to mean by your statement.
Again, I was just trying to be cheeky.
Chris,
So now you’re implying among you other vast accomplishments you hold a masters degree in English. My God Chris, is there ANYTHING you are not an expert in?
Apparently we have among us a reincarnation of the Oracle of Delphi.
they also dropped the ‘busking’ fee so anyone can walk around downtown playing their bagpipes. this is as serious as homelessness !
Its time to do away with property taxes and if the county needs revenue then charge sales tax on everything but the voters have to vote to raise sales taxes!!!
Another example of the erosion of our privacy to fuel their insatiable lust for money. Already we’re paying a rate of tax that is outrageous .we pay to park our cars on our own property for which we pay taxes. We’re taxed to support a public education that is failing against any published standard. I can’t imagine what invasion of our privacy and our purse Alston and the band have in mind, but rest assured, it’s coming.
Eliminate nonprofits at the federal, state and local levels. Remember George Soros’ nonprofits allow him to wreak havoc around the world. Nonprofits are so powerful because they don’t pay taxes.
include boxes of worship
Drones are a somewhat recent invention. Laws have not caught up with how they can be used. Using drones by government to spy on property taxpayers should be against the law, either written or moral. The fact that the county commissioners are enthusiastically in favor of spying on property taxpaying homeowners demonstrates the commissioners’ lack of integrity. No surprise here.
Unreasonable search?
I enjoy model rocketry. Might be a shame there was an accidental collision.
Just saying.
Air rifles are legal to use in the City. A compressed air rifle will give you the range. Target shooting for fun, of course.
are u sure ? i think it is illegal. if someone saw us using them they could fabricate a ‘illegal’ story ?
define the reasonable search. probably case specific ?
It is in the Bill of Rights.
would we rather have this fast, cost effective aerial ‘checking’ or a tax appraiser traipsing around the yard ?
I didn’t know tax appraisers traipse across yards. Another word for that is trespassing. Actually, using a drone is no different from physically entering a property without an invitation. Drones are not invited to my property. Therefore, without my permission, which I withhold, the drones are trespassing. The county may want to reconsider using drones or face a lawsuit. A class action sounds like a good idea.
howbout if COG notified areas before drone survey ? google maps etc is photogr our stuff 24/7 with remote sensing. using my new remote sensing tech your methane emissions will be detected & your fine will be auto deducted from your accounts. bwa ha ha ! repeat violators face mandatory ‘remediation’. dogs will be fined cows
See my previous comment.
I can suggest a place where they can check mine.
we tried but couldn’t get past a head
deep thought….
Just a note…
Chris seems to be in support of the County Commissars and their ‘tax the peasants into the poor house’ plan. I would point out he doesn’t live in the Fiefdom of Skip so what dog does he have in this fight?
I suggest every homeowner who pays property taxes place a “no trespassing” sign in their yard. The appraiser would need the owner’s permission to enter the property. Hopefully, the sign will be placed in such a manner that it is visible by a drone. Aerial imagery using drones is very different from past imagery techniques. The drones proposed by Guilford County are to catch anyone who may be cheating the taxman, and drones can be extremely intrusive. Using drones to catch tax cheats is a bad idea and Guilford County Commissioners should say no to using drones in this manner. Government is not trusted, why confirm it further by using drones to catch a tax cheat. It would be better for Guilford County to lose a little property tax money than to intrude on property owners. This is a violation of the Fourth Amendment.
I am fairly sure they dont actually visit your property to asses tax value during the reassessment. They use large data sets and areas photos. They dont even think they do a drive by.
I am fairly sure the tax appraisers can and will enter property if the property lacks a “no trespassing” sign. The tax appraiser does not enter the property of every homeowner’s property, which time wise is impossible.
Better to be safe than sorry. However, Guilford County Commissioners now are willing to trespass from above. The intention is to spy on homeowners under the guise of property appraisals. And property taxpayers will be paying for it. Say no to drone appraisals.
I am not sure, but I don’t think they can’t enter your property without your presence or permission. Even when building a new home, once you have ability to lock your home, they require you to be present to let them in and inspect your home. Otherwise, they are limited to what they can see from outside the home which frankly they can see from aerial photographs. But go ahead and put your signs up. Have fun.
My “No Trespass” signs have been up for years.
give up. we know you sunbathe nude grow some hair