The ongoing saga of Pender County’s 2026 property revaluations took another turn on May 4, as commissioners voted to use the 2026 property values in the upcoming county budget, repealing the board’s previous decision to suspend the revaluation.
This means that the board will use the 2026 values as it continues to work on a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a process which will include setting a new tax rate.
The board originally suspended the 2026 revaluation in early April after public outcry arose when property values rose more 100% countywide. Both county residents and commissioners questioned the accuracy of the work done by the appraisal firm, Vincent Valuations, and the board voted to instead use the previous values — appraised in 2019 — with plans to conduct a review of the 2026 values.
More: Pender County suspends property revaluations after public outcry
This decision quickly faced several legal questions, with organizations such of the North Carolina Department of Revenue, the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the UNC School of Government advising the county that the suspension of the 2026 values would not be legally upheld.
Commissioners initially stayed the course, hoping for aid from the state’s general assembly in the form of a senate bill that would decide the county’s course for it. Under Senate Bill 889, counties that did reappraisals in 2026 would be required to instead use values from the last reappraisal — 2019, in the case of Pender County — for the upcoming budget year starting in July.
Those 2026 reappraised values would instead take effect one year later in July 2027. This would also mean the clock on reappraisals — which are required at least every eight years in North Carolina — wouldn’t restart until 2027, potentially pushing back a future revaluation.
As of May 5, that bill has gone through two senate committees, but it remains uncertain if both the senate and house will ultimately make the bill law.
Pender County commissioners voted 3-2 to use the 2026 property values in the upcoming budget, reversing a previous decision to suspend the revaluation, on Monday, May 4.
More: Proposed bill could delay property revaluations in Pender County
In light of the uncertainty and the need to move forward with the budget process, county commissioners voted 3-2 to revert their decision and use the 2026 property values. Commissioners Jimmy Tate and Brad George voted no.
The motion to use the 2026 values also moved back the property value appeal deadline to June 30. Commissioners previously had extended it to Oct. 1. Finally, the motion also directed county staff to begin the process of sending out letters detailing the appeal process to all county residents.
The county is looking to fix any apparent mistakes in the revaluation through that appeals process.
“55,000 of you are going to get a letter in the mail letting you appeal anything you think is not appropriate for your revaluation,” commissioner Randy Burton said. “The county will help you through that process from now to June 30.”
Charlie Kingree is the Pender County and trending topics reporter for the StarNews. He can be reached at ckingree@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Pender County commissioners change course, vote to use 2026 property values
