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Residents criticize rapid property reappraisals; commissioners pledge state discussions
Summary
Multiple residents at the Hampstead forum said recent reappraisals produced large assessment increases they called inconsistent and unaffordable; commissioners said the board has raised the issue with the state delegation and mentioned Senate Bill 889 and a November referendum on limiting annual property tax increases.
Several residents told the board they were struggling with recent property reappraisal results and asked the county to reconsider timing and methodology.
One attendee (speaker 14) said their new home experienced assessment swings—land values previously over $150,000, later below $50,000—and described a combined set of reappraisals representing a 69.5% increase over recent years. They said the change outpaced Social Security COLA increases and made staying in the county unaffordable for seniors dependent on fixed income.
A commissioner (speaker 4) said the board led local outreach that fed into Senate Bill 889 and that the county has challenged some appraisal outcomes. He said the board will continue discussions with Pender’s Raleigh delegation on possible state-level fixes and on the cadence of future reappraisals (e.g., every four years instead of eight). Another official noted a November ballot will include a referendum about limiting how much the county can raise property taxes annually.
County leadership stressed staff will collect public comments and that appeals processes are available; they also acknowledged limits on immediate local remedies and signaled plans for continued engagement with state lawmakers.
