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Residents press Durham County on disparate land-rate assessments in Falls Lake area
Summary
Residents who appealed 2025 property assessments told the Board of County Commissioners they cannot see or understand the land-rate data used for valuations in the Falls Lake critical watershed; county tax staff said they are working with residents and that neighborhood land values differ legitimately.
At the July 28 Durham County Board of Commissioners meeting, two residents urged the board to address what they said are inconsistent land-rate assessments in the Falls Lake critical watershed and problems with the county appeals process.
"My family lives in the Falls Lake Critical Watershed, and I have assisted over 30 neighbors and chem folks doing their Durham property tax appeals," resident Donna Stavak told commissioners, saying many appeals do not address land rates and that residents lack access to the comparables used to calculate valuations. Betty Hamilton, who said she lives in rural Durham County on Addison Road, described neighboring parcels with widely different land values — citing examples she said ranged from $50,000 to $125,000 per acre — and said she and at least 15 nearby parcels are appealing their assessments.
Tax Administrator Keyard Doyle responded that staff have been in communication with the residents and reviewed submitted comparables, and that staff will continue working with appellants to review data and resolve website issues. "They have definitely addressed their concerns. We have had staff work with them to try to see if we can get to some actual data," Doyle said, adding that some differences in land values across neighborhoods are normal and driven by the data the office uses.
The residents asked for better transparency about what data and comparables are used when the tax office sets land rates and for clearer guidance on the appeals process and website submission steps. Doyle encouraged residents to continue communicating with staff and to report any website problems so the office can investigate specific incidents.
What happens next: Commissioners did not take formal action on the matter at the meeting; staff were asked to continue working with residents to address specific appeals and website issues.
