Residents decry reassessment-driven tax increase as Bland County holds public hearing

Chair Randy Johnson called the Bland County Board of Supervisors to order on May 26 and opened a public hearing on the county’s proposed tax levy after a recent reassessment of property values.

Dozens of residents used the hearing to challenge the reassessment outcomes and the board’s proposed increase in the tax rate. Melissa Burnett, a disabled veteran who identified herself as a Bland County property owner, said her parcel’s assessed value rose 25% and told the board the resulting tax would push her annual bill to about $2,000. "I don't have that kind of money to pay you," Burnett said.

Several others described steep assessment rises they said did not reflect property condition. Bill Eisenhauer, a resident on Little Creek Highway, said his house assessment rose "two and three‑quarter times," and warned that the increase far outpaces cost‑of‑living and retirement income changes for many county residents. "At $0.42, I'm looking at 60% more from my house taxes," Eisenhauer said.

Residents pressed the board for clearer information about how additional revenue would be spent and whether the county has fund balances that could offset levy increases. Carol Hall asked whether the current fiscal year would end with a surplus and where prior surpluses have been held. "If you can operate on the current budget, why do you need almost a million dollars more?" she asked.

Gerry Scheppers, speaking from compiled household and revenue calculations, said the proposed $0.42 rate would generate roughly $1.8 million annually for the county and equated that amount to the annual payment on a roughly $25 million bond at typical borrowing rates. Scheppers urged the board to identify specific, measurable projects before raising the levy so taxpayers can evaluate the return on increased payments.

Other commenters, including Robert Haynes, Carl Williams and John Owens, connected reassessment and proposed tax actions to broader concerns about county spending and transparency, citing examples such as library and Wolf Creek Indian Village budgets and alleging missing funds. Several called for stronger delinquent‑tax collection and for use of the Board of Equalization and appeals to challenge assessments.

Ron Stevenot and others offered arithmetic examples to illustrate how differing rates and reassessments translate into household bills, and urged the board to consult legal and collection options before committing to a large rate increase.

The hearing was closed by Chair Johnson after public comment; the transcript does not record a final vote adopting a new tax rate at that meeting. The board’s next procedural steps for final adoption were not recorded in the meeting transcript. Residents were repeatedly advised to contact the Commissioner of the Revenue or the Board of Equalization to file appeals of assessed values.

What happens next: The board paused the hearing without adopting the proposed $0.42 rate on May 26. If and when the supervisors schedule a subsequent vote to adopt a budget or levy, the county must follow statutory notice and adoption procedures and allow taxpayer appeals of assessments.