Guilford County leaders plan tax rate cut after sharp reappraisal hikes

A Guilford County homeowner can still get a bigger tax bill even if commissioners cut the rate, because the 2026 reappraisal pushed assessments up so sharply. The county’s current property tax rate is 73.05 cents per $100 of assessed value, and some residents have reported jumps of roughly 40% to 60%.

The math is what has people watching the Board of Commissioners so closely. A home assessed at $250,000 under the old value carries a bill of about $1,826 at the current rate. If that same home rises 50% to $375,000, the bill would jump to about $2,739 if the rate stayed the same. Even a lower rate would not erase the increase unless commissioners cut it enough to offset the higher value. At 60 cents per $100, that same $375,000 home would still face a bill of about $2,250, well above the old bill.

Skip Alston has said the county does not plan to keep the current rate, and county leaders are looking for a middle ground that eases the hit without stripping too much revenue from county government. Holding the rate steady would generate about $175 million more than the county needs, according to county estimates. That leaves commissioners trying to balance tax relief against the cost of schools, public safety and other services funded through the county budget.

The timing matters for homeowners in Greensboro, Oak Ridge and across Guilford County. The county manager is scheduled to present the recommended budget on May 21, a public hearing is set for June 4, and commissioners are expected to vote on the final budget and tax rate on June 18. Guilford County’s adopted fiscal year 2025-2026 budget kept the tax rate unchanged, but this year’s reappraisal has changed the politics and the pocketbook pressure around the next vote.

County officials say the 2026 reappraisal was required by the North Carolina Department of Revenue in April 2023 because most properties were selling for more than their assessed value. The reappraisal covers all residential, commercial and industrial land and structures in the county, and appraisers divided Guilford County into about 2,500 appraisal neighborhoods. State law requires property to be assessed at true value or use value and reappraised at least every eight years.

Homeowners have 30 days from the reappraisal notice date to file an informal appeal. Guilford County also offers online review tools, including comparable sales, an assessed-value increase calculator and an online appeal platform. Before tax bills arrive, the key question is not just whether the rate falls, but whether the new assessment is accurate enough to survive a challenge.