Beaufort County schedules public hearing on property reappraisal set for Oct. 23

Lloyd, Beaufort County’s tax assessor, told commissioners on Oct. 7 that state law requires periodic reappraisals and that staff plans a reappraisal effective Jan. 1, 2025, based on an updated schedule of values. The schedule documents the assessor’s methods for valuing market and present‑use values and will replace the current schedule dated Jan. 1, 2018.

Lloyd said the county has moved from an eight‑year cycle toward a six‑year pattern and emphasized that the office determines market value by analyzing sales of similar properties in the local market, not by inventing prices. He said reappraisal notices will be mailed in late January or early February 2025 and that copies of the schedule are available in county offices and online.

The assessor requested a public hearing on the schedule values for Oct. 23, 2024, and recommended board action afterward to adopt the schedule values in November. Commissioners also set tentative Board of Equalization review dates for Nov. 18 with Nov. 19 as a fallback, to allow property owners to contest values.

Why it matters: Reappraisals redistribute the property tax burden based on current market conditions; changes can alter bill amounts even when tax rates remain unchanged. Staff said the update to present‑use values (for forest and agricultural land) will affect values modestly for most owners but may produce larger changes for some large farms.

What’s next: The board scheduled the Oct. 23 public hearing on the schedule of values and will consider formally adopting the schedule at its November meeting. The assessor encouraged residents to request presentations and to review the full schedule online or at county offices.