Buncombe County appeals period ended; board reviews bylaws and consent-agenda procedures

The Buncombe County Board of Equalization and Review voted to end the official appeals period at 1 p.m. on 05/16/2025, approved minutes from the April 11 meeting and reviewed draft bylaws and procedural guidance for hearings and consent-agenda items.

The action ending the appeals period was made as a motion and approved by voice vote. Board members also discussed a slate of administrative procedures: proposed bylaws and rules of procedure patterned on guidance in the North Carolina Department of Revenue manual; a consent-agenda process that would present pre-reviewed adjustments to the board for quick approval; and a proposal to remove the requirement that motions receive a second before the board votes.

Why it matters: The board’s procedural rules determine how property-tax appeals are scheduled, heard and recorded. Final bylaws and rules will affect how members handle evidence, when items can be placed on a consent agenda and how the board documents written decisions that may later be reviewed by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.

Board staff told members there were no residential appeals currently pending. Staff reported about 20 commercial parcels had recent notices sent and that business-personal-property appeals included penalty appeals and at least one value appeal; staff said they expect a “handful” of commercial appeals to proceed to the board. Staff advised scheduling the board’s regular meetings on a first-and-third-Monday cadence and suggested the first meeting to address newly noticed commercial appeals be June 16 to allow time for review.

Members reviewed the draft bylaws and separate hearing procedures staff prepared. Staff said the bylaws will be provided in a PDF and that the board should read them ahead of the next meeting; the first order of business on the following calendar would be adoption of the bylaws and rules of procedure. Staff said the procedures will include a hearing script, guidance on deliberations and a written-decision template and stressed that once the board adopts procedures, parties and attorneys may hold the board to those rules.

On the consent agenda, staff said the board will receive spreadsheets showing values before and after adjustments, owner and parcel identifiers and reasons for adjustments as a work in progress. The consent agenda is intended for noncontroversial items; any board member can request removal of an item for discussion. Members were advised not to use e-mail to deliberate matters, because back-and-forth discussion by e-mail could constitute a public meeting under state law.

Board members discussed a recommended change to the rules to eliminate the formal requirement for a second on motions; staff said that approach is common for small boards and would allow an immediate vote on a motion rather than waiting for a second. That change was presented as a procedural option to be decided when the board adopts its bylaws.

Staff said final versions of the bylaws and procedures would be sent to members for review (staff aimed to circulate documents within 48 hours of the meeting) and reiterated that the board’s written decisions should be reduced to writing and distributed to parties following hearings. Several members asked for time to review drafts and to forward suggested edits to staff before the next meeting.

The meeting concluded after routine items on the agenda and a motion to adjourn was approved.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve minutes of 04/11/2025: Approved (voice vote; tally not specified). Motion stated as "I make a motion that the minutes to be approved as circulated." (mover and second not identified in the audio record). - Motion that the appeal period end officially on 05/16/2025 at 1PM: Approved (voice vote; tally not specified). Motion text from transcript: "I make a motion that the appeal period end officially on 05/16/2025 at 1PM." (mover and second not identified). - Motion to adjourn the meeting: Approved (voice vote; tally not specified).