BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – Botetourt County’s 2024 property reassessments were sent out to residents this week, leaving many with sticker shock.
Values jumped anywhere from 23 to 68 percent.
“People get really upset. They get very passionate, especially when we start talking about our pocketbooks,” said Tiffany Bradbury, the county’s director of communications.
She said some reasons for the spike include a nationwide housing shortage, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation.
“Everything has gone up exponentially,” said Bradbury. “From little things like paper that might be used in the Registrar’s Office to sporting equipment that our kiddos are using during these rent programs or the fuel that’s going to go into our public safety vehicles to make sure that they’re responding to your call.”
So where are your tax dollars going?
“The big things that that funds is education and public safety,” said Bradbury.
Virginia law requires localities to reassess real estate property values regularly. Botetourt County reassesses every four years using a third-party company.
“They have laws that they have to follow as well. They don’t just pick a number,” said Bradbury.
The county offers a real estate tax relief program for veterans, the elderly, and anyone who is disabled based on income and net worth. If you think your assessment is not correct, you can file an appeal by email or mail no later than 5 p.m. on March 4.
“You can appeal right now to the assessors. And then if that doesn’t work you can go to the Board of Zoning and Equalization and those dates will be set as well,” said Bradbury.
Over the next few months, the Board of Supervisors will review the budget and how the reassessment impacts county finances.