Buncombe County Government, NC Tapped In, 29 Aug 2023

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From YouTube: Tapped In | Property Tax Update | August 29, 2023

Description

Buncombe County Tax Assessor, Keith Miller talks with Leonard and ZaKiya about how property taxes work in Buncombe County, the best ways to pay your taxes, and what resources are out there to help you with your taxes.

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You're, listening to Tapped in buckham County's have hour to empower on Wes 100.7 FM in Asheville, listen up and get tapped into local important resources. Information and topics learn more about the topics of today's show at bunkham, count.org, okay, it's time to get tapped in hello, hello, hello and greetings to all that are hearing my voice. If you hear my voice, you know it's time to get tapped in.

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Don't have a coffee cup anymore because I quit drinking coffee, so I'm your host, Zakia, Bo, Rogers.

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And I'm lonard, Jones and.

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Leonard and I come to you from the communications and public engagement, Department of bunkham County.

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Today, I would like to introduce Our, Guest, Keith, Miller, bunam, County's property, assessor and we'll be talking about the upcoming 2025 reappraisal. However, before we jump into Today's, Show I would like to do just a public service announcement. We would like to inform Community to save the date the community reparation Summit so join the community. Reparation commission, city of Asheville, buckham, County government, UNCC, Asheville, Department of Education and UNC Asheville Africana studies program for a community reparation Summit featuring a keynote speaker.

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George FY hear updates from the impact Focus areas and give your feedback to help shap their um the community reparation commission's recommendation. The date of this event will be be held on Saturday October, the 7th 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 300 p.m. and it'll be hosted at the UNCA sherff Center, and that's located at 227, Campus Drive and here in atro North Carolina. So we just want to have more information um we'll be coming up shortly, but just save the date for that Saturday October, the 7 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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we will be having a community.

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Reparation Summit.

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At UNCC Asheville.

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Well, thank you lard and welcome.

B

Thank you always happy to be.

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Here with you, and we are always happy to have you because when you come, we learn so much more. um And if you haven't noticed in your mail, we should have gotten some mail.

B

What was that mail? Keyth your property tax.

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Bill- and it has something extra in it this month,.

B

Well, let's just consider that that was your invitation to pay your taxes. Okay,.

C

That feels a little better yeah I like so. There was other things.

B

In it we're talking about r 2025 we're talking about exemption opportunities, so there's other things in your bill. If you haven't opened it yet open it and read the little inserts in it, because there's a lot of information for you.

A

So you just said: reappraisal 2025.

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And everybody's probably like: why are we talking about it.

A

Now we got two whole years, but planning is important, so tell us, you know why. Why are we doing this again so early.

B

So soon it feels like we.

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Just did it right.

B

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And and so why are we doing this right now and how does this work.

B

So we did Disc complete one in 2021.

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B

Last one buckham County's been on a four-year cycle for many years on doing reappraisals, and we need to do it because the market changes so quickly here in their area very quickly. Yes- and it's important that we stay in sync with that market.

A

And I just a plug out there for all the. So if you look at it like a graduation, every four years, your house gradu to a new.

B

New tax Mar right right, yeah in the current market, every four years, we're telling you how much more wealthy you are yeah, but the the equity in your property. So you can look at it that way. It's a good thing.

A

Yeah so there's building on um all right.

C

So um why do we do reappraisals? Can you just explain that process.

B

Yes, so many people, let me say this first many people think reappraisal- is about increasing tax revenue or increasing your tax bill, and that is UPS, absolutely not true, but it's not what it's about at all. Our legislators, when we wrote the when they wrote the tax uh law really.

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B

Reappraisal as a means of creating Equity, because as we go through time from reappraisal to reappraisal, different areas of our counties and our our cities uh appreciating value at different rates. So if you continued on for long periods of time, what happens is that the the values and the equity in those values, the equalization across them, becomes more and more out of line. The Gap gets bigger and bigger, so I I've I asked people to keep in mind.

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Is about Equalization of the values it is about, making the tax burden equal for everyone that no one person or one Community is paying more than the.

A

Other, so how does the apartment come up with a value like because I know everybody is like you know, I have a new house next door of M. Are they comparing this to my 1927 home? So how do we come up with those values.

B

So basically, the the process is the same as if you went and got an independent appraisal. If you call let's say some people buy homes, they get an appraisal for a mortgage, and the emaor gives you a value based on that house individually. It's the same process. We look at comparable sales, we look at the cost approach and we arrive at a estimated value based upon what other properties have sold for a little bit of.

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B

Though is that we do a mass appraisal rather than independent, Mass appraisal is groups of properties, so we will look at the groups of properties and we will look at all the sales that occurred in that group of properties to arrive at a value estima for each one.

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Upon each one, each property's characteristics.

A

And you know I think one one way to like explain to people. If you go take a Kelly blue, Blue Book and you have a certain car, it will tell you if your car has matching tires. Has this um upgrade or this downgrade your your? Your car is worth different prices with certain things and that's just like.

A

If you have four 1930 homes and one has a brand new kitchen, it's going to be more, it's going to be worth more than the other other three that do not have an updated kitchen, but you know one has an updated, bathroom or added a bathroom, so different, add-ons and upgrades will also change what your house worth is as well.

B

Right right, each property is unique: they they've all had different things done to them. They've all had new kitchens at maybe some point or another, maybe a new bathroom, maybe a finished basement. These things happen over time. We improve our properties to make them more valuable and more valuable. So.

C

The value does change.

B

For that reason, also, uh along with just general appreciation which really is good, it is good to see the property values increase when you're talking about equity in your property or if you decide you want to sell it, nobody wants to pay more taxes, I know, and it's a little scary to think your value is going up and your taxes are going to go up.

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B

That's not always true.

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B

Because because your value goes up doesn't mean your taxes are going to go up.

C

So, what's the timeline in this process? Are we saying reappraisal? 2025 is 2023 now. Is there things that a homeowner or property owner needs to do, or is there any kind of key dates that they need to be aware of so the first thing thing.

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I would encourage Property Owners to do is look at your property record card.

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Look up your property see if your property is listed in our in our data correctly.

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It the correct size.

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Is it the you know, do we have a basement on it and you don't have one or how many bathrooms do we have getting a a correct value is very dependent upon correct data. If you maybe no, we recently sent out a postcard to all the uh Property Owners, asking them to update their data mm and go online. It's easy to do that. You can go online review, yours and you can submit any updates that you want.

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B

Partial key to making this the best it can be.

A

And I remember the last time you were here with us. You talked about updating your your property and I was like I've, never looked at it and when I went and looked on it I realized they never had. I had a fireplace on there.

B

A

The fireplace is just as old as the house and I added it on there, and you know documented that it has always been here, I'm, not sure why it was left. That's really important because you know if I'm selling, my house and all of a sudden now I have the fireplace it's like. When did it get there.

C

Right so yeah right so where did Community actually go and verify their property records at? Is that online? Yes, you can go to.

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Tax. bunam county.org and you can search out your property there by name by address by partial ID number. It is very easy to do. We've.

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Even made it more simple.

B

Is that now we have the app for your uh smart device that you can download and have it right on your phone that you can do the same thing uh so that U my value BC just go to the app store or Google and search for my value BC, and you can download that on your phone and it's truly as simple as opening the app typ in your name. It'll, pull up your property and there's a section on your property record card where you can submit changes to it.

A

I actually downloaded that L. Have you downloaded that yet, unfortunately, I have.

C

Oh wow, you got to because will do that.

B

Today, yes, will do I'll show you later on so.

A

I downloaded and Cassie day who, who was um also in the c um Team or commun Communication in public engagement, bam County and she was walking me through it. But I almost didn't need her because I it was so easy, and so, if I can do it, anybody can do it. You remember those commercials like it's so easy a cave. Man can do it.

B

It's so easy Zia could do it by herself. So I'm telling everybody download.

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This it's very easy. It's right at your fingertips and you know it answers a lot of questions that you may or may not have. You know.

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Related to data, let me take the opportunity to point out, as you said, about your fireplace that you had one, but we didn't have it listed. It's also very important to know that if you don't have one that we don't have one listed.

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Remember we don't go inside your home, we don't know what's inside your home, so if you have something maybe we we listed a fireplace at one point, and maybe you don't have a fireplace, so it's just as important to tell us that it's not there as it is. If it's there.

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B

A

So, and when will this start, will it start January 1st of 2025 or like when? When will we the process actually start.

B

Well, our staff is working on the process now, okay, it it will take. It takes us a lot of time to be able to reach r value 130,000 parcels and we will work uh from one reappraisal to.

C

The next it really never.

B

Stops for us in internally, we will continue that process, but what property owners should be aware of is that come January 1 2025 is when the new values will be effective. Okay, okay: we will send every property owner a notice of value around the last of January 1 of February, so you will get that notice of value in the mail then, and that is your first notice to say: here's what my my new value on my property is.

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With that will.

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Be all the instructions about what you want, what you can do appeal you can call us and discuss it. You can set up an appointment, there's a lot of things that you can do from that point, but that is the important date and that's the date that we're working toward today.

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B

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Right now we're just doing the lay work behind it and then come January February, we'll start getting that information out. So.

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Okay, that's correct.

C

And you said that's in 2025 right, that's in 2025, but you know what most people.

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Say well, like you said earlier, why are we talking about it now? Yeah, okay, it's important that people prepare for it.

C

Okay and I know no one wants to.

B

Talk about taxes, it's a furest thing from your mind in most days, except when you get your tax bill. When you get your tax bill, then all of a sudden you want to talk about it, don't wait until then.

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Prepare yourself for it take advantage of something of our educational opportunities, we're out in the communities we're at community centers we're at the markets come by and talk to us ask us your questions, so you can be prepared when you get that and know a little better about. What's going.

A

On so you you were talking about be being prepared and I. Think right now would be the best time for everybody to like go out and check that car, because right now we're going into 2024. Can you all believe that that we're going to wake up and it's going to.

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B

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And there will be eggn everywhere, and so it it's important now, because if you put it off you're going to be like oh I'll, do it later I'll do it later and, like I said, you'll wake up and it's January 2025 and you haven't so make the time, be prepared, get the information and check your data. And if you have questions they're more than welcome to come to your office and ask those questions. Your sta.

B

Absolutely absolutely there's there's links on the website and even if you download the app you'll find those links there, you can send us questions in an email. We'll respond to you. That way, you can call us you can come by whatever works for the resident, whatever makes them the most comfortable, we are happy to respond in whatever they like.

C

Whatever fashion, so what are some of the resources? Because we know probably most people get their text.

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And say: I disagree.

C

With that, so what are some of the options available to.

B

Yeah, so we've made many new tools available on our website and even on the app to where it's very, very easy for any property owner now to go top in your address, you can see all the comparables it'll give you an estimated value. It's a way for you to know. What's going on, keep in mind, your value is determined based on what your neighbors are buying and selling property for.

B

So if you want to be educated to know, what's going on, look at what's going on in your communities as far as how much properties are bu being sold for the.

C

Other thing is uh on our.

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Website is a little tool called community community is a tool that you can use to look actually look. Look at your community. You can see the statistics what the average sales process, what the sales ratio is building permits, there's a lot of things. You can start educating yourself about. What's going on in your community and better prepare yourself when you get that value, if you think it's not correct, then tell us why it's not.

A

Correct and so how long do they have after they receive that bill or the invitation to pay your taxes? Do they have to appeal.

B

So we're talking about two different things. So when you receive your notice of value, not.

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Your okay notice of value notice of value.

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Let's say you're going to get that around the first week of February, you will have until mid April till the board of Equis review Jour adjourns to file an appeal. What we ask you to do, though, is that to return that to us, maybe within the 30 days that you received it.

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Staff time to work it.

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Because it is a big.

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Job and we're going to get thousands of those to work through, so in order to get a quick response back to, you then respond to us as quick as possible, so.

A

I have a question: I live in the city and county I know people are always like what does that mean? It means that I live in the city, but I also live in the on that line of the County. So I go to County Schools.

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How does how does taxes and I know all my.

A

Neighbors, how do taxes work for folks, like that? Do we have like city taxes, and then we have County taxes, because I've never understood that part I just pay. It.

B

So you have one valuation say that first, okay, one evaluation, one evaluation: you have one value, no matter where you live in the county or the whichever City municipality you're in you have one value and that's established by the assessment Department. However County anywhere you live in the bunkham county, you pay bunkham County tax, that's a tax rate that you pay anywhere in the county. If you live in the city or any municipality, then you you pay an additional tax for that municipality.

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B

You pay your county tax. If you live in the city of Asheville, then you also pay added to that. A city tax, okay and the city council determines that rate, just as the County Commissioners determine the rate for the county, so.

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That's true, it doesn't matter if you live in waville.

B

Black Mountain City of Asheville Woodin, which, whichever municipality, you might live in. It's the same process.

A

Okay, okay, so so someone who lives in waville they they have bon County tax and they have the township of waville taxes.

B

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Okay, that makes me feel bad correct thought it was me correct, am I the only one paying extra taxes.

B

Remember if you live in a municipality such as Weaverville Weaverville has their own police department. They have their own.

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Fire department.

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They have their own services that they provide you as a resident of that municipality. So you someone has to pay for that.

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B

They collect the taxes to be able to pay for that extra service.

A

Well, that's great, you know every time you kind of keep I've learned so much you know. And u I you know older people used to say you know you pay taxes until you die and then somebody else does it for you right.

C

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So, let's talk up talk a little bit about that. If someone um is up for a real they're doing the real phrasal and a person passes away in the middle of that the, how does the family get in contact? If there's a will or anything like that? How do they get in contact with you all and get that paid.

B

So whomever is the owner on January 1 of each year is who the tax bill? The name will be on the tax bill. Okay, so if I was.

C

B

January 1 the tax bill is going to be mailed to me, although I might have passed away in April still going to be mailed to me at the address that we have. If that has, if that person passed away and they have an estate, then probably the taxes will be paid from the estate or the children will pick up the taxes and pay the bill uh in order to keep uh the property from going into foreclosure, okay, okay, so the tax bill will be mailed to the same person at the same address. Yes,.

A

So it doesn't matter if that person's in a nursing, home or they're where, where they are, if that person owns that house January 1, that's who the tax bill is going to.

B

That is correct.

A

I mean invitation to pay.

B

Invitation to pay.

A

Yes, yes, I, like that better I'm start calling all my bills invit to live.

B

Yeah makes makes you feel a little better, doesn't yeah yeah? It does.

A

So um Alena had a good question about this. What about the fire districts.

B

Yeah, so fire districts are sort of like municipalities, okay, so if you you can you will still get your taxes for bunkham County? But if you do not live in a municipality that provides fire service, then you live in a county with a fire district. Okay, so let's say if you live in Broad River, there's no municipality there, but you still get fire service from Broad River fire department, but you pay tax based upon that tax District to the French Broad fire department to provide you that fire service.

B

So again you have the county tax and then you will have a fire district added on top of that in which you will pay both just like. If you were in the.

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Municipality L, you got any questions.

C

Yeah so in in terms of you know, you get the new value you um and now it's time to pay your bill. Are there any resources in terms of Rel, someone is having Financial struggles or barriers to help pay to bill. Is that anything like that? You're familiar.

B

With well first, every want you to remember is that the collector is always open and open to listening a payment plan. Okay, if that will help you, then they will sit down and discuss that with you. What those terms will be and help you the best that they can to try and make sure that that gets paid. um Of course, there's within the the county now uh their Health and Human Services is offer in the homeowner grant program, okay, which you can use to pay your taxes or you can use for many different things.

B

So that's that's out there to help you. Yes, um the.

C

B

Remind people is that there are some exemptions: that's available, okay for elderly, disabled veterans. These are all things that can reduce your tax bill and help. You be better, be better to pay. Okay,.

A

Okay, so, okay, so we have all these different ways of paying, um but can someone pay biweekly? You know how you get paid and like that it comes out of your um paycheck. Every week, like um I, don't know some banks, they do a bi-weekly payment. Can you do that? Can you have it set up through your bank to come out your your your pay.

B

A

Couple weeks, yes,.

B

The collector will receive even Advanced payments. If you want to prepay, then you can do that through the year and prepay on that taxes, tax bill in preparation for it coming so, yes, that's another thing you need to discuss with the collector and they will help you set that up.

A

And that's that's nice to know that you have more than just one opportun um chance because sometimes $500 from a month or I I'm, not sure that is that much now.

B

A

A large payment once a month feels a little bit better when you can break it up to two payments.

B

Yeah sure, that's that's a big help to people to plan for that they don't have one large uh be able to pay at one time. So everyone should keep in mind. Is that we're here to help.

A

B

Taxes are what taxes are and we all have to pay them to get the services which the county and our municipalities provide for us. Okay, we all have to pay them so, but what I want to remind people is that, if you're having a specific issue with that, then let us know what that issue is.

B

Sometimes we could offer some solution to that or we can offer you some advice of someone you can go talk to so we we can also be a resource for things like that, uh if you're having problems- and so another question is who actually makes the decision around property tax and the tax rate? That's your your governing boards. Okay, so for the county, the County Commissioners decide the tax rate, which really determines what your taxes would be.

A

And it's the same thing for the municipalities.

B

Again, if you live in the town of Weaverville, the Town Council, there will determine what the rate is, uh and then they will determine what your taxes will be and, of course, that rate is established based upon the budget that they need to operate uh the county or the municipality for that next year.

A

So, what's the current rate now.

B

The current the current rate is um 48 cents uh for bunam and don't ask me what all the municipalities are because I don't have them all memorized. Okay,.

A

uh I want to popcorn all the municipality, so go go on the website.

B

There's a there's a sheet there that will give you complete breakdown of all those municipalities in the County government and what the rates are.

A

So that's 48 Cent per th000 or per how.

B

Per 100 per 100, okay right.

A

So every $100, your house is worth 48 Cent.

B

A

Correct when you look at it that way, it doesn't look like that's too too bad. You know, unless your house is worth like five.

B

A

Then you like I, don't have enough fingers.

B

Yeah yeah yeah, so.

A

That so how do they come up with? That is that, like around the state uh average or or they just sit down and say, you know what this is our budget, and this is the only way to come up or do they have a guideline or.

B

No, it's really just from the budget so once the the county manager, Office and then the Commissioners determine what how much they need for the budget for the year. So let's say we determined. We need $300 million to operate this County for for a year.

A

Yes and remember.

B

That's fire police, HHS streets, sidewalks, whatever it might be, are all included. I was just.

A

Getting ready to ask you what was that pay? There's a lot of things included.

C

B

That um so, let's say it's: 300 million is the budget and we have a $50 billion valuation. Then it's the relationship between those two numbers. What determines the rate? Okay, so there's.

A

B

Set guideline across the state, every County and municipality has a different rate based upon their need for their budget MH.

C

Did the rate ever go down.

B

The rate typically goes down in a reappraisal year. Okay, so as values go up rate usually comes down because again it's if you're keeping somewhat of the same budget and the values went up and if you kept the same rate, then you're going to have a lot more Revenue. But what typically happens is that the Commissioners will uh lower that rate in order offset for the difference in valuation.

A

Well, I just got that look from Randy um we're I know we got five minutes. He just gave me that the high five and so Keith, what do you want to leave with our audience today, something that you feel that is extremely important that you want them to be aware of and um here's your floor. We go ahead. Thank.

B

You if there's one thing that I could say to the residents of this county, is that again prepare yourself look for an educational opportunity, we're out in the communities uh if you'd like for to come to some some Community event that you're having or to a community center.

C

Then please invite us and we'll come.

B

And we'll talk about property, valuation and taxes and exemptions, and whatever that your group might want to talk about, but the best thing to do is to arm yourself with some knowledge about why we do it, how we do it, what you can do to respond to us how to appeal it. These are all things that I would encourage people to find a way to learn more.

A

C

And I just encourage the community to as Keith mentioned here, to prepare yourself. We said this. The real appraisal coming in 2025 so go out there as he mentioned earlier. Look at your property records. You can find that information um on the bunan county.org web page under the tax um Tab and you look up your depart. Your property see what the value is see if there needs to be any changes or corrections made for it, because appropriate data will lead to the best um evaluation of your home.

C

So we strongly encourage Community to look at their property records and make sure that it's accurate within the system.

A

And also you want to give us a reminder of the reparation Summit.

C

Yeah we in with a plug around a community reparation Summit, again save that date that will be on Saturday October. The 7th 2023 from 10:00 a.m. 3 p.m. come help. The commission um give them feedback and learn more about what's happening with the impact Focus areas as they work on their recommendations to present to the County Commissioners, as well as the city council of nville. Again that'll be Saturday October, the 7th at UNCA Cheryl center from 10:00 a.m. to 300 p.m.

A

All right, thank you and, as always, I'm going to wrap this up and put a bow on it. um First. Thank you so much Keith, You', Britten, so much knowledge to us. We thank you for always keeping us um a bre of what's going on and as that message that we've heard be.

B

A

um I, you know we prepare for everything. You know we prepare to go to work. We tell our kids to prepare to go to school. However, we are afraid of envelopes. You know that we are. We see that tax um preparation Bill come in and we get very nervous. We we move it around from the countertop to the kitchen table to the kitchen table to the dresser and then eventually way, past April and um deadlines. We open it and then we're shocked. So what I want to encourage anybody to do that?

A

That has to pay taxes or have family members that pay taxes, encourage them to look get involved with the information that is in front of you to be knowledgeable of what is going on is to understand and be able to participate and what is going on, and so and you don't know unless you ask questions or if you don't and read about it so and also check in on those websites that we gave you earlier and those are L go ahead and plug that'll.

C

Be at bunam county.org and you can find it under the tax Tab.

A

And also we have an app for that Kei. What's that app.

B

That's right, my value, BC.

A

Yes, so not only have we given you multiple ways to get there, we've also thought about all different folks. You can call you can come in, you can online and you can add it. So there's nothing stopping you from being one bonam, because we know when all of us pay taxes and get our things in order. Our community runs smoother and we want a community where we are supporting the the the businesses and and um entities that we need to make sure that our community is thriving. So with that pay.

B

A

Taxes and until the next time you've been tapped.

C

In thank you for listening to Tapped in bunam County's half hour to empower here on wrs 100.7 FM in learn more about today's topics at bunin, county.org, otherwise, stay tuned for more great episodes coming.

C