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Montgomery County hears detailed reappraisal briefing as 2028 valuation date approaches
Summary
Appraiser Ryan Vincent briefed the Board Oct. 21 on reappraisal options required by state law for a Jan. 1, 2028 valuation date; commissioners discussed accuracy, costs and timelines but took no formal vote and asked staff for concrete proposals.
County appraisers must bring property values to current market levels as of a single valuation date. On Oct. 21, appraiser Ryan Vincent briefed the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners on reappraisal methods, timelines and risks ahead of a revaluation effective Jan. 1, 2028; the board requested cost proposals but did not take a formal vote.
"A reappraisal is the process in which we bring all of the market value, all of the property values in the county up to current market value as of a particular day," Vincent said, noting that reappraisals are mandated by state statute and that counties on an eight‑year cycle should begin planning about three years out.
Vincent outlined four basic approaches: a desktop review (office‑only), a drive‑by, a walk‑around and a full measuring list (field measurements and photos). He said the full measuring list is the most accurate and the most costly but delivers higher data quality and fewer downstream appeals; a desktop approach is least expensive but carries higher risk of appeals and data errors. He recommended strong public‑relations outreach and early planning and said the county’s reappraisal is due with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2028.
Commissioners and members of the public pressed on logistics and costs. Vincent said the state provides some aerial imagery but not the oblique and street‑level imagery that improves accuracy; he urged the county to consider oblique aerial photographs and a clear PR plan if the board chooses field work. He also described equalization rules administered through the North Carolina Department of Revenue that can reduce the tax burden from public utilities if residential and commercial assessment ratios are out of alignment.
Participants cited several local figures during discussion: the county’s current overall taxable valuation (about $3.7 billion), the current tax rate (about $0.615), an approximate parcel count of 30,000, and a manager’s reported annual set‑aside for reappraisal of roughly $100,000 per year. Commissioners said the last full county‑wide measurement they could recall was in the 1980s.
No formal selection of a reappraisal method was made. Commissioners asked the vendor for concrete written cost estimates for options (desktop, drive‑by, walk‑around, full measure) and asked staff to return with specific proposals and budget impacts. The manager said the county had not set aside enough to cover a full measuring list but that additional budget years remain before 2028.
What’s next: staff will request written proposals and firm cost estimates from the presenter and other vendors and return to the board with the recommended approach, a timeline and a PR plan. Commissioners discussed the merits of moving to a four‑year cycle after the next reappraisal to reduce future shocks to taxpayers.
