Dozens protest sharp valuation increases at Hall County Board of Equalization hearing

The Hall County Board of Equalization spent a full afternoon hearing protests from homeowners and business owners who said this year's property valuations rose sharply and inconsistently across neighborhoods.

Speakers said they were surprised by double- and triple-digit increases and questioned how the assessor's office had chosen comparables and applied quality and condition ratings. "I don't agree with the 10.25% increase in the value of my property," one homeowner told the board, citing a smaller finished area and a vacant, poorly maintained neighbor that she said had depressed nearby marketability. Another property owner said a 51.7% jump in assessed value made it difficult to pay taxes on a fixed income.

Assessor staff and contract appraisers responded that the county completed a group revaluation and that many increases reflect market sales and a recent countywide land reappraisal. The assessor's team repeatedly offered site re-inspections: "We'll have…