Countywide revaluation looms, residents warned of higher taxes

County leaders, state legislators, and homeowners are preparing for a property tax reckoning after news that next year s countywide revaluation will likely increase average home values by roughly 50 percent compared with 2022 assessments. The prospect set off a wave of concern across Guilford County because higher assessments do not automatically translate into higher taxes if governing boards lower tax rates to keep revenue stable.

Longtime state representative John Blust warned local officials at a Summerfield Town Council meeting that residents should brace themselves for what could be a "whopping property tax increase" in 2026 if city and county leaders do not act. Blust and representative Alan Branson will sit on a special House committee charged with studying whether the state should intervene in the property tax system and consider changes to state law to provide homeowner relief.

One legislative measure under discussion is House Bill 539, which would require counties and municipalities to adopt a revenue neutral tax rate in any year when a general property revaluation takes effect. Under that approach local tax rates would be adjusted downward to offset higher assessed values unless officials vote to increase revenue. That requirement would tie local tax collections to prior revenue levels during revaluation years, limiting automatic increases in tax bills driven solely by higher assessments.

The county s current Board of Commissioners is controlled by Democrats and has not shown a propensity to lower tax rates in recent years, a political reality that heightens the stakes for state action or pressure from voters. For homeowners in Guilford County the immediate questions are practical and personal. Without rate reductions many will see their property tax bills rise substantially, affecting household budgets, mortgage escrows, and decisions about staying in place or selling.

Timing remains uncertain. The committee and any legislative votes must move quickly if changes are to affect tax bills tied to the next revaluation cycle. In the meantime local elected officials will face intense scrutiny from constituents as they set budgets and make rate decisions that will determine whether a significant assessment shift becomes an equally significant tax burden.