Chowan County accepts 2025 tax settlement and authorizes collection orders

The Chowan County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on July 14 to accept the county’s annual tax settlement for the year ending June 30, 2025, and to adopt two orders authorizing collection of current and prior years’ unpaid taxes.

Tax Administrator Chris Hill presented the settlement figures: the total original levy was $12,930,249.58; after discoveries/afterlists of $535,557 the total levy reached $13,465,806.58. After releases of $17,672 the net levy was $13,448,135, of which $13,169,909 had been collected and $278,265 remained uncollected. Hill reported a collection rate for 2024 taxes of 97.94% and said registered‑motor‑vehicle collections were 99.81%.

The board then approved an order directing the Tax Collector to collect the 2025 taxes and to use statutory remedies; the order cites G.S. 105‑321, G.S. 153A‑156 and G.S. 160A‑215.2 and declares county taxes a first lien on real property in Chowan County and its special districts. The board also adopted a separate order to collect unpaid taxes for 2014 through 2024 and, citing G.S. 105‑373(g), relieved the tax collector of the charge of collecting personal‑property taxes deemed insolvent for 2014 and prior years. Both motions passed unanimously (6‑0).

Chairman Bob Kirby noted the delinquent taxpayer list provided by the tax office was generated by account number and not by name, which made searching difficult; Hill said he would provide the commissioners with an alphabetical list by last name.

The board’s actions establish the formal authority for collection and write‑off steps as described in the adopted orders. No individual roll‑call votes with member-level tallies were recorded beyond the unanimous outcome.