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Pender County approves 2026 schedule of values and moves forward with reappraisal amid public concern
Summary
After a hours‑long discussion about fairness and timing, the Board of County Commissioners voted 4–1 to adopt the 2026 schedule of values and begin the statutory reappraisal process with an effective valuation date of Jan. 1, 2026. County staff outlined an outreach and appeals timeline.
Pender County approved the required 2026 schedule of values and advanced a countywide reappraisal on a 4–1 vote, a step county staff says is necessary to comply with state law and to update tax assessments last set in 2019.
Ryan Vincent of Vince Evaluations told the Board of County Commissioners the company used market‑adjusted cost and sales comparison approaches based on closed sales over roughly two years and neighborhood models to estimate values. He said the effective date for the reappraisal will be Jan. 1, 2026, change‑of‑value notices are planned for March, and the board of equalization and review must convene between the first Monday in April and the first Monday in May. Notices will begin the appeals process; first tax bills that could be affected will be issued in 2026 and due in January 2027.
"The effective date of the reappraisal is 01/01/2026. We plan to mail notices in March, and the appeal process starts after that," Vincent said.
Residents who spoke during public comment urged caution, arguing many county households are on fixed incomes and that increased assessments would be painful without a concurrent tax‑rate reduction. Commissioners repeatedly emphasized the legal separation between assessed values (set by the appraisal) and the tax rate (set by the board during the budget process), noting that any change in tax bills depends on how the board sets rates later this spring.
Staff said it will host community outreach sessions in January and February and place detailed instructions in mailed change‑of‑value notices about how to review a parcel online, compare sales and pursue an appeal if residents disagree. Vincent added that the appeals operation will be staffed locally and that the company can shift personnel to handle any surge in requests.
Commissioners asked for clearer communications to households that lack internet access and for staff to include information about senior and veteran property tax relief programs with mailed notices. Several members said they are personally committed to pursuing a revenue‑neutral or lower tax rate when the budget is set so that many households are insulated from increased bills.
The vote clears a statutory timetable: reappraisal work is expected to continue through the winter; property owners who disagree with their assessed value may start the appeals process after notices are mailed in March.
What’s next: county staff will post sales and valuation data online, schedule public information meetings in January–February, and begin mailing change‑of‑value notices in March. Appeals will proceed through the board of equalization and review in spring.
