A public hearing on Davidson County’s proposed 2026 schedule of values opened Oct. 13, where county staff described a large revaluation effort that includes redrawing neighborhoods, adding new improvement types and adjusting land factors to reflect current market conditions.

Mr. Rickard, county staff, told the Board the document “is basically [an] appraisal manual for our staff to be able to bring the values up to what the market is today.” He said the material is extensive — “I think over 400 pages” — and includes more than 800 residential neighborhood designations to allow finer-grained analysis.

The county’s revaluation team also described changes intended to reflect rising construction costs and recent sales patterns. “We know from our sales ratio of 67%, we're about 30% low on average,” Mr. Rickard said, adding that the change will vary by neighborhood and by property type. Staff said commercial properties are expected to see a larger increase because they believe previous appraisals were low.

Commissioners and speakers pressed staff on how sales, interest rates and new construction affect assessments. Mr. Rickard explained the department studies recent sales within narrowly defined neighborhoods and, where appropriate, applies adjustments within that neighborhood rather than broadly across the county. He also described the county’s work to separate markets by age bands (every 10 years) and by specific segments such as lakefront properties.

County staff and commissioners discussed the tax-rate mechanics that follow a revaluation. Mr. Rickard said state law requires the county to calculate a revenue-neutral rate once levy information is known; he summarized: “The revenue neutral, the county will still bring in the same amount of money — your property will just be worth more.” He warned the sales-ratio method is an average and individual taxpayers could see different results, and provided an illustrative range staff expects across the county of roughly 25% to 50% for assessed value changes depending on location and market demand.

The public hearing drew no speakers in favor or opposition. The Board closed the public hearing and placed the revaluation item on the Oct. 27 agenda for further consideration and any formal actions that may follow.