No One Speaks at Haywood Hearing on 2027 Property Valuation Rules

Haywood County's next property reappraisal took a formal step forward Monday as commissioners opened the public hearing on the 2027 schedule of values, and not a single resident spoke, emailed or called. Adoption is expected at a later meeting, and the board also set an Oct. 27 joint session with Haywood Community College trustees on funding for a campus modernization project.

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• 2027 schedule of values hearing held, with zero public comments, emails or calls
• Values set as of Jan. 1, 2027 will drive future property tax bills
• Reappraisal comes after a two-year, state-approved delay following Hurricane Helene
• Assessors stress appeals can be filed electronically, in person or by mail

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The Rulebook for Every Tax Bill Gets a Quiet Hearing

The basics: A schedule of values is the set of standards and rates appraisers use to value every parcel in the county during a reappraisal. State statute requires the county to adopt one.

Why it matters: The values produced under this schedule, set as of Jan. 1, 2027, will form the basis of Haywood County property tax bills. For homeowners, landlords, farmers and businesses, this document shapes what they will owe for years. It typically draws little attention until assessment notices arrive.

Where things stand: Assessor staff, including Assistant Tax Assessor Levi Cullen and Jimmy Tanner, president of Tanner Evaluation, walked commissioners through the schedule. They described it as the tool used to value all property in the county and said it is required by state statute.

Staff also said the schedule is not locked in. It can be adjusted for market changes before year-end, which builds in some flexibility if conditions shift between now and the Jan. 1, 2027 valuation date. Copies are available at the assessor's office and from the clerk.

The Helene factor: Board Chair Kevin Ensley noted that the county postponed its revaluation by two years after Hurricane Helene, with state permission. That delay means the coming reappraisal will be the first to reflect the county's property market since the storm.

The other side: No one came forward to challenge or question the schedule. No residents spoke, and staff reported no emails or calls about it. The silence leaves the board without public input on the document before adoption, even though it will underpin every property owner's valuation.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The board took no vote; the hearing was held and closed. Property owners have the most at stake. Staff emphasized that owners who disagree with their eventual valuations can appeal electronically, in person or by mail.

What's next: Commissioners are expected to adopt the schedule of values at a later meeting. Residents who want to review the document before then can find copies at the assessor's office or through the clerk.

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Minor Items

• Consent agenda approved: Six consent items passed by voice vote, declared unanimous with no opposition. The individual items were not read aloud.
• DOT right-of-way clearing: Commissioner Tommy Long relayed residents' gratitude after the state Department of Transportation bush-hogged overgrown right-of-ways that had hindered visibility. "I guess pass that on to the DOT for responding to that need," said Commissioner Long. Board Chair Ensley noted that roads in North Carolina are a state function, not a county one.

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Looking Ahead

Commissioners will hold a special joint meeting with the Haywood Community College Board of Trustees on Oct. 27, 2026, at 5 p.m. at Haywood Community College. The topic is funding and financing for the college's Core Center for General Education and Infrastructure Modernization Project, a discussion that could lead to a county funding commitment. Formal notice was to be posted on the county website and the meeting room door the morning after Monday's meeting.