Buncombe County tax assessor outlines 2026 reappraisal, says notices will mail in February

Buncombe County Tax Assessor Eric Kreger briefed Asheville City Council on the county’s 2026 reappraisal, describing the process, outreach and what property owners should expect.

Kreger said reappraisal assigns a market value to each parcel as of Jan. 1, 2026, using mass-appraisal techniques (sales-comparison, income and cost approaches depending on property type). He told council the office manages about 135,000 parcels, more than 7,000 tax‑relief accounts, about 9,000 business personal‑property accounts, roughly 9,000 rental accounts, and more than 250,000 registered motor vehicles.

An external equity audit by consultant Kevin King and an ad hoc reappraisal committee informed the office’s outreach and data-quality work. Kreger said the audit helped identify approximately 3,500 residential parcels for site visits and adjustments to correct condition or data-quality issues. "We adjusted down a lot of properties," he said, adding staff increased technical capacity and added five team members since 2021.

Kreger said county notices will be mailed mid to late February and that property owners will be able to review values online (including via QR code on mailed notices) and appeal. He said the initial appeal window to the assessor’s office runs through May 5; unresolved cases may proceed to the local board of equalization and, if necessary, to the Property Tax Commission in Raleigh.

Councilors asked whether there is a definitive registry of whole‑home short‑term rentals; Kreger said the county lacks such a registry and that the county uses a rental‑listing program and address research to find rentals. He reiterated that reappraisal is not a revenue‑raising tool: municipalities set tax rates after assessments are reported to the governing boards.

Kreger directed residents with questions to the county’s MyValueBC page and to review their property record cards and file appeals where appropriate.