Mecklenburg County just reset property taxes. Now, your bill may go up again — sooner 

Mecklenburg County property owners who started paying higher taxes this year could get socked with another increase in four years.

County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to conduct the next countywide real estate property revaluation in 2023 instead of 2027. That means the county will set new tax values for homes and business property in four years instead of the customary eight years.

Commissioner Chairman George Dunlap said reassessing tax values for homes and businesses earlier will help ease the dramatic spike in taxes some property owners see after eight years.

“Citizens don’t appreciate what we’re about to do,” Dunlap said. “This is big news.”

The change comes as land values are rising rapidly in Mecklenburg County. Now many residents will see their property tax bills go up for the second time in four years.

Earlier this year, the county passed a budget that raised taxes on 65 percent of residential properties. Taxes on more than 70 percent of commercial property — typically businesses — jumped, too.

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Under state law, counties must conduct property revaluations at least every eight years. The law allows counties to re-assess property more often if they choose to do so.

Dunlap said the moving up the property revaluation makes it more likely to capture the value of homes and businesses more accurately.

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The move likely reflects the board’s new political direction. Democrats won all nine commission seats in November for the first time in more than 50 years.

In previous years, potential tax increases have prompted vigorous discussions among Republicans on the commission, who in years past opposed to higher taxes.

But Democratic commissioners approved the new revaluation interval Tuesday with virtually no debate.

Commissioner Trevor Fuller said he has seen fewer complaints this year about property tax assessments than in the past.

“People seem to be OK with it,” Fuller said.