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Mecklenburg commissioners today are scheduled to receive an update on the multi-step process under way to clean up after the botched 2011 revaluation.
In late November, the board gave County Attorney Marvin Bethune 60 days to consult with experts on the legality and consequences of resetting property values back to Jan. 1, 2011.
Those changes would include refunds to overtaxed property owners or higher tax bills for undervalued homes.
Taking any changes back two years would require legislative authority. Without it, they’d go into effect when new tax bills are mailed in 2013.
For more than a year, property owners complained of over-inflated property values and their inability to find a receptive ear in county government during appeals.
After an outside review of the appraisal by Pearson’s Appraisal Service found dozens of inequities among 15 percent of Mecklenburg neighborhoods, revolt leaders demanded the revaluation be done over – and refunds handed out back to Jan. 1, 2011.
To restore public confidence, commissioners rehired Pearson’s in November to expand its appraisal study to every residential and commercial neighborhood – far beyond its initial sample – to identify and fix major inequities.
They adopted other actions, including: starting immediately on “reworking” neighborhoods already identified with problems; building a plan to deal with minor problems and another plan to address future revaluations. Staff report
