County property values average 30 percent jump

By Randall Rigsbee

Chatham County property owners will receive revaluation notices next month, according to Chatham County tax administrator Kim Horton.

“We feel we’ve had a very good revaluation and we have achieved market value,” Horton said last week.

Horton met with the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, Jan. 5 to update the board on the 2005 revaluation, the first since Chatham revalued property in 2001.

How large an increase property owners can expect when notices are mailed on February 15 depends largely on where property is located.

In 2004, the taxable real estate portion of the county tax base before exemptions and exclusions was $4.4 billion. For 2005, the taxable real estate portion of the tax base before exemptions and exclusions will be $5.7 billion, an increase of 30.62 percent, Horton said.

Property reappraisals are required by North Carolina law and in 1998, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners decided to conduct appraisals every four years instead of the eight-year cycle the county previously used.

The shorter cycle, Horton said, helps avoid large value increases, means less loss in property tax revenues from public utilities, and provides a more equitable distribution of the tax burden.

The tax office appraises real and personal property at is “true value in money,” according to North Carolina law.

more- See Thursday, January 13 paper: Vol 85, No.7

Briar Chapel decision expected Feb. 15

By Randall Rigsbee

After several years of planning and intense debate, the controversial proposed Briar Chapel development is nearing its final review by the county Planning Board and county commissioners, who will have the final vote on the large-scale development,  will likely take action on the proposal at a special February 15 meeting.

Before county commissioners consider Briar Chapel, the county Planning Board will conclude its review of the proposal at a Jan. 24 meeting. The Planning Board  will convene at Pittsboro Memorial Library at 6 p.m. to complete its review of Briar Chapel.

County commissioners will follow up the Planning Board’s work with a Feb. 15 meeting called solely to consider Briar Chapel.

The commissioners’ meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and is tentatively scheduled to be conducted in the Superior Courtroom in Pittsboro.

California-based developer Newland Communities seeks to develop the 1,589-acre, 2,389-home Briar Chapel on property in the Baldwin and Williams townships, bounded by US 15-501 on the east, Andrews Store Road on the south, and Mann’s Chapel Road on the west and north.

more- See Thursday, January 13 paper: Vol 85, No.7

Tax listing forms mailed

Chatham County residents should have received their 2005 listing notices last week.

According to Kim Horton, tax administrator, the Chatham County Tax Office mailed annual listing notices to residents who own personal property only.

2005 real property revaluation notices will be sent in mid February 2005. Taxpayers who own personal property and have not received their notices by Friday, Jan. 14, should contact the Tax Office for further listing instructions.

Other items the public should be aware of include:

Personal property tax listing: According to North Carolina law, all people who own personal property as of Jan. 1, 2005 (with the exception of licensed motor vehicles) are required to list the property with the Chatham County Tax Office by Jan. 31, 2005. The listing period runs from Jan. 2 2005 to Jan. 31, 2005. Any listings that are received after this period will be subject to a late listing penalty of 10 percent of the tax owed. Personal property includes unlicensed vehicles, boats, mobile homes, airplanes, motors and any appliances or other personal property provided by a landlord for tenants.

more- See Thursday, January 13 paper: Vol 85, No.7