2026 Property Tax Reappraisal

Governor Stein recently signed SB889, a law that pauses the 2026 property tax reappraisal beginning July 1, 2026.

That pause would directly affect the property values used to build Buncombe County’s FY27 budget, which was adopted earlier this month. If the law stands as written, the County would have to revisit both the budget and the tax rate after July 1, something state law only allows when revenue estimates are significantly affected.

At the same time, another bill—SB474—is waiting in the NC Senate and could be taken up soon. This bill would exempt Buncombe County from the moratorium. When the Governor signed SB889, he noted that he was concerned about how the law might affect Buncombe County’s ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene. He urged the Senate to move forward with SB474 so that communities still rebuilding would not face additional strain.

“It’s important for property owners to know that at this point, there are no changes to their property assessments or taxes,” said County Manager Avril Pinder. “Once we understand what will happen with SB474, we will be able to clearly communicate what impact, if any, these bills have on our community and our taxpayers.”

For now, nothing has changed for property owners. Assessments and tax bills remain exactly as they are. Once there is a clear decision on SB474, the County will be able to explain any impact these bills may have on residents, neighborhoods, and local services.

If Buncombe County is not exempted, the County could lose an estimated $1.8 million in expected public service utility tax revenue. Municipalities across the county could see another $298,000 in losses. These are meaningful gaps for local governments already stretched by storm recovery and rising service needs.

This situation is still developing, and the County will share updates as soon as they are available.