Property tax bills are going out this week to Mecklenburg County residents, even though the assessor's office is still working through a tidal wave of appeals filed to last year's revaluation.
That old Ben Franklin saying about death and taxes being the only certain things in life is apt this week as 2012 property tax bills arrive in Mecklenburg County mailboxes. Also certain? Complaints.
"We're prepared for that," says Mecklenburg County Tax Assessor Garrett Alexander.
The assessor's office was inundated with complaints and appeals last year from people who believed their properties had been overvalued. It was the first countywide revaluation in eight years.
There was so much public outcry that a formal review by an outside agency is underway. But Alexander's office is required by law to keep collecting taxes on those 2011 values - even if many people remain convinced they're wrong.
Maybe you got that valuation notice last year and thought "no way is my place worth this" but you didn't appeal it?
"If you haven't appealed your value, then you don't really have the opportunity to appeal at this point," says Alexander.
Alexander says people can only appeal their property value when it has changed in the current year - say because you added on to your house or tore down a garage. Otherwise, the horse is out of the barn, so to speak, on those controversial 2011 valuations.
That outside review of the process won't be done until November.
Here's one bit of consolation for Mecklenburg County residents: The property tax bills many get this week should be slightly smaller since county commissioners cut taxes by 2.44 cents per $100 of assessed value.