Raleigh County appraiser outlines preliminary 2026 values and warns of potential effects from pending state bills

Anna Berson, Raleigh County appraiser, told commissioners on March 5 that preliminary appraised values and assessed valuations for 2026 show modest increases and that recent housing activity is driving much of the change.

Berson reported roughly 25,121 parcels on the rolls and preliminary assessed values totaling about $867,190,267, a 5.94% increase from 2025. On the appraised-value side she said the overall change was about 3.35%. On residential sales so far in 2026 she said there were about 72 sales with a median sale price of $252,000 and an average sale price of about $311,209.

Berson said assessed-value increases are uneven by class: residential values are driving the impact (about 71% of assessed value), commercial assessed values rose roughly 7.66%, vacant land about 3.22%, while not-for-profits showed a 17% decline tied to classification changes. She noted that the residential assessed-value median change (excluding new construction) centers around a 5% increase in the middle quartile and that new construction is captured separately.

The appraiser also warned about proposed state measures that could change local administration of property taxation. She flagged a pending Senate concurrent resolution (SCR 1616) and House bills (including HB2745 and other measures) that propose caps or protest-petition procedures tied to assessed-value increases. "One bill is essentially going all the way back to 2022 valuation and proposing caps that would create an inequitable distribution of that tax burden," Berson said, adding that implementing some bills would require increased staffing to review prior-year records and handle appeals.

Berson urged the commission to follow the legislation and said the appraisal office would be available to provide testimony or answer questions for the county’s legislative response. She also noted that value-change notices had been mailed and that informal appeal season was underway; final certification to the clerk is scheduled by statute in June.

The commission asked follow-up questions about timing, appeal deadlines and how proposals might affect county operations. Berson said personal property change-of-value notices are scheduled for May 1 and that further press outreach would be prepared to explain the appraisal process to property owners.

The session did not produce a formal vote on policy; commissioners asked staff to monitor relevant bills and to coordinate further engagement if public hearings or committee action require local testimony.