Burke County convened a newly formed Revaluation Task Force to begin work on a countywide property revaluation set for Jan. 1, 2027. At a kickoff meeting, county staff described the task force's role in building a statistical schedule of values and the timeline for presenting those values to the Board of Commissioners.

Brian, the Burke County manager, told members that "The goal is really to, help build towards the 2027 revaluation" and that the task force will make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners as staff develops the schedule-of-values. He said the schedule-of-values is a set of statistical tables (land values, depreciation schedules, price-per-square-foot with adjustments) that are applied across parcel records in a mass reappraisal rather than a series of single-property appraisals.

The session included staff introductions from tax and appraisal personnel and several community members. John Bridal, a long-time county tax official, noted his experience in county tax work, saying, "I've got over 30 years of tax experience, and, so I'm very glad to be here in Burke County." Stakeholders present included representatives from soil and water, insurance, and the local real estate profession.

The group completed routine business early in the meeting. Members unanimously adopted the meeting agenda and the proposed rules of procedure (quorum defined as a simple majority of authorized membership; Robert's Rules basics). Nominations for officers produced the election of Johnny Carswell as chair by voice vote; staff offered Emma from the county office to serve as secretary to take minutes.

Staff outlined how the revaluation process differs from single-property appraisal: it starts with land values across roughly 1,000 neighborhood/submarket groupings and then moves to structure components and commercial property (commercial property will receive dedicated review). Brian described the county's sampling and analytic approach, emphasizing arms-length sales and statistical application to parcel characteristics.

Using sales-ratio analytics, staff said the 2023 revaluation produced a countywide sales ratio near 59 percent, meaning in that sample period assessed values were roughly 59 percent of market sale prices. Brian said that gap is a primary reason for the revaluation cycle and that market volatility in recent years (for example, sharp swings in construction-material costs) can accelerate the need for more frequent revaluations.

Staff provided several clarifying figures during the presentation: Burke County's total taxable base was described as about $11,000,000,000; the county has roughly 37,000 improved parcels and more than 50,000 total parcels; property tax revenue accounts for about 55 percent of county revenues; and the county is currently on a four-year revaluation cycle with a target schedule of monthly task force meetings and adoption of schedule-of-values by December 2026 for application to the Jan. 1, 2027 revaluation.

Committee members emphasized public education and transparency so residents understand technical terms such as "arms-length" transactions and why values change. Tim Newton, a local real estate agent, thanked staff for outreach and urged clarity for residents who will receive notices of values after the revaluation.

The task force set its next meeting for Dec. 2 at 9:00 a.m. and adjourned.

Votes and formal actions taken at the meeting included adoption of the agenda, adoption of the rules of procedure, and the election of Johnny Carswell as chair. Details of motions and the outcomes are recorded in the meeting record.