By Jesse Wood
Jan. 22, 2014. The Watauga County Board of Commissioners was pleased to hear from Tax Administrator Larry Warren on Tuesday that property values “essentially [remained] flat” since the last revaluation took place in 2006.
The county held off the revaluation as long as legally possible in hopes that property values would rebound from the pits of the Great Recession. The county’s tax office spent most of 2013 appraising the nearly 50,000 properties in the county and will soon mail out notices to property owners detailing the new values.
Warren reported that county property values declined by 0.33 percent, which is a difference of roughly $85,000 if the tax rate remains the same. Beech Mountain declined by almost 10 percent, and Blowing Rock declined by slightly more than 2 percent. Seven Devils increased by 6 percent and Cove Creek increased by 8 percent. See individual percentages below.
“The percentage is looking excellent,” Chair Nathan Miller said.
Commissioner Billy Kennedy mentioned that Watauga County’s figure was “pretty good,” considering that he had heard Avery County’s values declined by 19 percent.
Commissioner David Blust called the flat figure “great news,” considering that a 30 percent decline was expected when real estate values were extremely low during the recession three to four years ago.
County Manager Deron Geouque mentioned that The Cottages of Boone, the largest student development in Watauga County, took a dent out of value declines that did occur throughout the county.
Staff and commissioners expect property owners to appeal their values. In the notices that are forthcoming in a few days, instructions and a deadline to appeal will be included. Contact the Watauga County Tax Office at 828-265-8021 for more information.
Below is the percentage decrease in property values in the county and its districts. Beside the percentage is the monetary difference in revenue if property values were to remain the same.
- Watauga County: .33 percent decrease, – $85,156
- Boone: .70 percent increase, + $35,625
- Blowing Rock: 2.34 decrease, – $67,617
- Seven Devils: 6.31 percent increase, +$38,866
- Beech Mountain: 9.36 percent decrease, -$305,351
- Foscoe: 1.10 percent decrease, -$4,955
- Beaver Dam: 4.14 percent increase, +$4,556
- Stewart Simmons: 19.11 percent decrease, -$28,012
- Zionville: 7.89 percent increase, +$8,684
- Cove Creek: 7.97 percent increase, +$18,386
- Shawneehaw: 2.80 percent increase, +$2,592
- Meat Camp: 4.52 percent increase, +$9,037
- Deep Gap: 4.87 percent increase, +$8,551
- Todd: 0.17 percent decrease, -$104