GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A county board of commissioners voted 4-2 to approve a property value revaluation plan following a 12.6% increase in local property values in 2023.
Tax Director Chelsea Tarbush stated the approved plan meets all state requirements.
The vote comes as property owners in Gastonia express concern over rising living costs and the potential impact of higher property values on their tax bills.
Gastonia residents Kathy Raby and Clifford Raby voiced concern over household expenses as overall prices have risen. The Raby family expressed hope that the 12.6% increase in their home’s value will not translate into an equivalent property tax hike.
Kathy described the effort to manage their monthly expenses. “We are just working call people that try to pay our bills,” she elaborated.
Clifford noted the potential long-term impact on homeowners. “It’s going to be a rough year and rough few years unless we can get this down some,” Clifford expressed.
Commissioners said they have worked to limit tax increases as property values rose across the county.
However, Commissioner Cathy Cloninger advocated for altering the timeline for property revaluations, proposing to change the cycle from every four years to every eight years. “It’s a financial burden that it creates for our residents every four years,” Cloninger said.
Commissioner Scott Shehan opposed the measure, citing multiple modifications to the proposal and asking for more time to review the details before taking action.
“I don’t have that confidence right now,” Shehan said. He added, “I just cannot support it at this time.”
During the discussion, Commissioner Bob Hovis asked how confident officials were in approving the proposed values. Tax Tarbush defended the assessment plan, stating she was “99%” confident in the values.
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