The Guilford County Tax Department just completed its 2022 revaluation of every house, building and piece of property in Guilford County – so you’d think the last thing on anyone’s mind would be the next revaluation.
However, things are already in motion for the revaluation cycle for Guilford County – currently once every five years – to be shortened to once every four years when the county adopts its fiscal 2022-2023 budget in a few months.
After the Board of Commissioners Thursday, March 3 meeting, Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said that the revaluation cycle question would be addressed during the upcoming budget talks, and Alston added that he very much wants to see the county move from a five-year revaluation cycle to a four-year cycle.
Alston, the leader of the Democratic majority on the board, has been backing the move for some time, and now that the 2022 revaluation is in the rearview mirror, he’s ready to address the matter.
At the meeting, during a presentation on the 2022 revaluation, Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis also alluded to the coming shorter cycle – “whether it’s in three years or four years – whatever the commissioners decide.”
After the meeting, when asked about the comment, Chavis said that he also favored a revaluation every four years. He said one benefit is that it would help capture changing property values sooner and would keep the county’s valuations closer to the actual market values of homes and other property.
Chavis added that a three-year cycle, in his mind, is too quick, because tax officials would barely have time to recover from the end of one revaluation before starting a new one.
NC State law requires counties to conduct a revaluation at least once every eight years, however, counties can hold the revaluations more frequently should the county’s Board of Commissioners choose to do so.
The more frequent revaluation could work in favor of property owners – if property values fall in the coming years. However, housing values usually go up over time, so a much more likely scenario is that people will end up paying more in taxes due to the shorter revaluation period.
In the past, the former Republican-majority Board of Commissioners, during a revaluation year, cut the tax rate in order to prevent homeowners from having to pay more taxes due to their increased property values.
However, the current Democratic-majority board has exhibited no such desire to keep the finances “revenue-neutral” after a revaluation. For instance, the current 2022 revaluation, with the new higher property values, is likely to bring in more than $55 million in additional money from county taxpayers, and Alston and the majority of the Board of Commissioners are already making plans on how to spend for that additional revenue while leaving the tax rate the same.
Up your arse everyday skip with money grabbing democrat ideas
Anything more than a near revenue neutral tax rate for fiscal year 22-23 would be irresponsible not only of our county commissioners but also our county manager. If Mr Hanford wishes to enjoy a long tenure as manager, I would hope he prepares the new budget very carefully. Elections have consequences.
Money Money Money
The backbone of Skip Alston and his Democratic minions. There will never be enough for them to satiate their appetite for more and bigger government.
The preposterous idea that property values may go down is indefensible.
Before reevaluations are moved from 5 to 4 years we are due a serious explanation from Skip Alston, the same leader of the $1,700,000,000 school bond referendum.
How about every month? Skip-the-hyp.
We don’t have plan for a nuclear attack yet. What we have right now is a tax-attack.
I wonder if Mr. Alston will be so anxious to do so when property prices start to fall again.
Scoot,
At the end of your article, you referenced that SKIP and the rest like him on the board are already planning to spend money they don’t have yet. Sounds to me like counting your chickens before they hatch. I was taught a long time ago to pay off what I owed. Save some for when you need it and then pay for what you can afford.
Can’t wait to see how many citizens move out of guilford county and greensboro. We are getting just like other democratic controlled cities…slowly but surely going down hill. Spend loads of money and get zero in returns.
Just so typical of democrats….tax and spend
Let’s tell the truth.
This is an attempt to squeeze every last dime out of the people of Guilford County.
Alston is a Democrat. That means that he is always in favor of increasing the wealth and power of government, at the expense of the people, who create the wealth.
He is a parasite, and like all parasites he thirsts for more and more. That is the nature of the Left.
Socialism is just a rationalization for envy.
And Alston is a typical Democrat; envious, spiteful, greedy, and base.