Republican County Commissioners Fight Property Tax Revaluation

The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners is split on whether to continue with reassessing the values of homes.

Republican commissioners announced Monday they want to see the process delayed a year, citing the downturn in the housing economy.

"Does it make sense to reassess at the peak of the increase when likely we will see a decrease in those values in the next year?" asked Republican Commissioner Karen Bentley.

The Republicans said they believe reassessing now would burden homeowners with a higher tax payment that could be inaccurate in a year.

But Democrats on the board disagree. Commissioner Dumont Clarke said waiting another year would cost taxpayers $300,000 because the revaluation is already under way. Also, he said, some homes have increased so much in value since the last assessment in 2003 that homeowners aren't paying their fair share.

"We have put this off for two years," Clark said. "We've spent a tremendous amount of time and effort and taxpayer money to prepare for it."

Residents are also split on the issue depending on the worth of their home. Darlene Glacer, who is trying to sell her home, said she worries its value will continue to decrease and she hopes the assessment is put off.

“I was just told by a Realtor that my house is worth about $12,000 less than it was six months ago,” she said.

And while Doug Harmon admits his home has gone up in value since 2003, he said, “It's not just about how much my property tax will go up, it's about what's fair for everybody.”

Due to the death of Democrat Valerie Woodard, the commission had a vacance. That spot was filled Monday night, with the election of George Dunlap, who will likely be the deciding vote on whether the revaluation will proceed.

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