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Greensboro residents press council over steep revaluations; city says appeals, tax-rate decisions follow county and budget process
Summary
Residents at the March 2 council meeting described dramatic county reassessments and urged Greensboro leaders to commit to a revenue‑neutral approach. City officials said revaluation is done by the county, appeals go to the county tax office and the city will consider the revenue‑neutral rate during the upcoming budget process.
Dozens of Greensboro residents urged the City Council on March 2 to shield homeowners and renters from large property‑tax increases after a recent Guilford County revaluation.
"They're expecting us to give them more money," said Mike Purdue, who gave his address as 500 Westgate City Boulevard and cited widely different assessment increases across neighborhoods. "If both the city and county do not reduce the tax rate, it could be devastating for property owners and renters." Purdue estimated valuation jumps across the county and warned of rent pass‑throughs and business closures.
Other speakers gave concrete examples: Chris Meadows said his valuation rose 73 percent and neighbors on the same block saw increases ranging from 36 to 74 percent. Jerry Mills, a local rental owner, told council that sudden assessment increases threaten small landlords’ ability to keep rents affordable.
Council members did not vote on a tax rate at the meeting. City Manager Trey Davis and the city attorney explained how the process works: the county tax assessor conducts revaluations and residents who disagree must appeal to the county, not the city, and the city will consider a revenue‑neutral rate as part of the FY 2026–27 budget deliberations.
"An increase in value does not automatically mean that the city is raising taxes," the city attorney said in response to repeated questions about next steps. She and the city manager urged residents to use the county appeal process while reminding the public that the council will vote separately on any tax-rate changes as part of the city budget process.
Why it matters: many speakers stressed that rapid, divergent revaluations can produce sharp changes to household expenses and to commercial lease costs that ripple through downtown and neighborhood economies. Residents asked council to direct the manager to prioritize a revenue‑neutral approach or to reduce budgetary spending before raising the tax rate.
What happens next: the city’s formal budgeting schedule — not the county revaluation — will determine whether the city’s rate changes. Residents have the statutory right to appeal assessed values to Guilford County's tax office; the council will consider budget options in public hearings in the coming months.
Credits: reporting here is based on public comment at the Greensboro City Council meeting, March 2, 2026. Direct quotes and examples are taken from residents’ remarks; procedural clarifications come from statements by the city manager and the city attorney during that meeting.
