Johnston County mails 120,000 revaluation notices; informal appeals open through Feb. 10

Jocelyn Andrews, Johnston County tax administrator, told the Board on Jan. 6 that the county mailed about 120,000 notices of value to property owners this week after a countywide revaluation that showed an overall increase of 70.6%.

Andrews said the revaluation was required by state law and that Johnston County’s growth advanced the schedule so the county moved to a 2025 revaluation that follows a 2019 board decision to adopt a six-year cycle. “The law says that that reappraisal must be conducted at least once every 8 years,” Andrews said, adding that the county had chosen to move to a six-year schedule in 2019 and will be on a four-year schedule after 2025.

The tax administrator described the appraisal process: a vendor, Pearson Appraisal, conducted street-level reviews, county certified appraisers visited new construction and staff reviewed property record cards. She emphasized that the notices are not tax bills and outlined options for property owners who believe their values are incorrect.

The county opened an informal appeal process on the Thursday before the Jan. 6 meeting; Andrews said informal appointments with appraisers begin the day after the meeting and the informal appeal window remains open until 5 p.m. on Feb. 10. Property owners may submit appeals online with supporting documentation, complete and mail or drop off appeal forms, or schedule a face-to-face meeting with a county appraiser or vendor appraiser.

Andrews told the Board and the public what evidence to provide: comparable sales, photos of property deficiencies, a private appraisal or corrections to property-record data. She warned that “concern over the anticipated tax bill or just because the value went up higher than you think it should is not a valid reason to appeal.”

She also explained timing: the revaluation is only part one of the process. Tax bills and rates are set during the budget process in June. “Part 2 will be decided in June,” Andrews said. Only when the Board and municipal governments set tax rates in June will residents know what their 2025 bills will be.

Andrews reiterated existing relief programs and eligibility thresholds. Residents age 65 or older or 100% disabled with household income at or below the state-mandated threshold (reported in the meeting as $37,900) may qualify for reductions under state programs; disabled veterans and qualifying nonprofit owners should contact Veterans Affairs or the county tax office. Properties enrolled under present-use value (PUV) for agriculture, horticulture or forestry remained in effect and were not changed by the revaluation; per-acre PUV values adopted in October remain the basis for those taxes.

She encouraged residents to use the county website to review property record cards, watch explainer videos and access FAQs, and provided the Tax Department phone number (919-989-5130) for appointments.

Why it matters: The revaluation updates county tax values after six years of market change. It does not itself set tax bills, but it will inform the Board’s June budget decisions. Residents who believe their notice is incorrect must file appeals with supporting documentation during the informal window or use the formal appeal process afterward.

Community reaction: Dozens of residents addressed the Board during public comment, reporting large changes to their notices and expressing concern about potential increases in tax bills and insurance replacement-cost adjustments. Andrews and multiple commissioners urged residents to review their notices, submit documentation for appeals and use available relief programs. Commissioners also noted the Board’s past reductions in the county tax rate and said the Board would consider tax-rate adjustments in June to moderate bills.