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Norfolk resident urges council to lower tax rate after steep reassessment increases
Summary
At a Norfolk City Council public hearing on the fiscal 2025 ssessment, resident and landlord Keon Lindsey said his Ocean View apartment tax bill has climbed sharply since 2021 and urged the council to lower the city—usiness nd property tax rate; City Assessor Pete Rada outlined informal and formal appeal deadlines.
Keon Lindsey, a Navy veteran who owns a rental apartment in Ocean View, told the Norfolk City Council at a public hearing that his real estate tax bill rose from about $4,000 in 2021 to more than $7,000, and that reassessments and the city—urrent tax rate have made his property unaffordable.
"My real estate tax bill jumped 52%" in 2022, Lindsey said, adding that the bill rose another 10% in 2023 and again in 2024. "That's a $3,000 difference, which is an unbelievable 75% increase in my tax assessment, bill. Does that seem fair?" He told council members he cannot pass such increases on to tenants and urged them to "lower the tax rate dramatically."
The remarks came at a public hearing on the city ssessed value increase for fiscal year 07/01/2025 through 06/30/2026. The mayor opened the hearing by noting that state law requires a public hearing when assessments rise by more than 1% and that this year the citywide assessment increased 4.9%.
City Assessor Pete Rada responded with guidance on appeal options. "The appeals period is ongoing right now in our office and will be ending, for the informal appeals process, at the close of business May 9," Rada said. He advised property owners to call the assessor's office at (757) 823-1343 or (757) 664-4732, and said an appraiser who handled the property should contact owners within five business days. Rada added that formal appeals that go to the board of review must be filed no later than June 2.
A city staff member also noted that owners dissatisfied after administrative appeals may contest an assessment in circuit court and that such court actions generally must be filed within a two-year period for the tax year in question; Rada agreed with that statement.
The hearing record shows residents raising affordability concerns and the assessor outlining the available administrative and judicial remedies; the council did not take a vote on the tax rate during the public comment portion. Any change to the tax rate would be set in a separate council process following statewide notice and procedural requirements.
