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Halifax County supervisors consider keeping 50¢ tax rate as 4.75% reassessment raises bills
Summary
At a May 19 public hearing, county staff said a reassessment raised total assessed property values 4.75%; staff proposed keeping the current 50¢ per $100 tax rate rather than the 48¢ equalization rate. Residents testified about steep, uneven assessment increases and questioned the use of carryover funds.
The Halifax County Board of Supervisors heard public comment May 19 after county staff reported that a countywide reassessment increased total assessed real estate values by 4.75 percent.
John Montoro, the county’s interim finance director, told the board that the equalization rate that would keep overall taxes billed the same following reassessment “would be 48 cents,” two cents below the current 50‑cent rate, and that the proposed action before the board was to maintain the 50‑cent rate. Montoro emphasized that the higher tax bills residents will see are the result of reassessed values, not a change in the tax rate.
Several supervisors asked clarifying questions about timing and scope. Supervisor K. McDowell asked whether the next reassessment would occur in 2028; Montoro confirmed reassessments are on a two‑year cycle. Supervisor W.B. Claiborne summarized that the county’s move was effectively to keep the 50¢ rate while total assessments had risen about 4.75 percent. Vice Chair R. Smart noted inflation and rising operational costs as context for the board’s fiscal considerations.
Two residents spoke during the public comment period. Mrs. Mattie Cowan of South Boston said one of her properties rose 18.1 percent in assessed value (about $18,000) despite no improvements and said she was told a neighboring property’s graffiti had been described by a reassessment board member as “art.” Cowan urged the board to use the 48‑cent equalization rate rather than the proposed 50¢ rate and asked how the county intends to use any additional revenue generated by reassessments.
Ms. Jennifer Champion reviewed the county’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget line items and questioned two carryover entries, including one listed at $16,248,870 and a second at about $2.7 million, asking why those funds were not applied to reduce the need for additional taxation. Champion said her home’s assessment rose roughly $39,000—more than the 4.75 percent average—and presented calculations showing the reassessment’s effect on solar installations; she estimated solar assessments would rise from about $59 million to roughly $61 million and generate approximately $296,000 in additional tax revenue. Champion said she opposed both the reassessment increase and the proposed rate.
Chair L. Roller closed the hearing after public comment. The board recessed at 7:51 p.m. until a subsequent FY27 budget public hearing at 8:00 p.m.
