Burke officials prepare for tax appraisals

Burke County residents can expect new property values in 2027, after county officials determined property tax values are about 22% below current market prices, and county officials are taking steps to realign the numbers by Jan. 1 next year.

According to County Manager Brian Epley, when the housing market swells to 15% above or 15% below the set values determined during the last tax appraisal, the North Carolina Department of Revenue requires the county to conduct a revaluation.

Tax administrator Travis Isaacs explained that the county is due for reappraisal since Burke County is on a four-year valuation cycle, with the last reappraisal taking effect on Jan. 1, 2023, and the 2025 sales ratio coming in at 78.91%, which fell below the threshold.

The sales ratio compares a property’s tax value to its actual sale price.

A lower ratio means that the tax appraisal has fallen below the real-time cost of homes and happens over time as market conditions fluctuate between appraisal cycles.

Current assessed values sit about 22% below what properties actually sell for, according to Isaacs’ presentation. Although the numbers were “tipping back up” in the first quarter of 2026, the presentation stated there is not yet enough data for 2026 to draw conclusions.

The revaluation only assesses real property, such as buildings, homes, and land.

“It can fluctuate between communities,” Isaacs explained. “Location means a lot. We’re looking at your neighborhoods, we’re looking at your market areas, (and doing) everything to make sure that we’re being fair and equitable across the board.”

Areas like Lake James residential neighborhoods would generally draw higher assessed values than locations considered less desirable.

The revaluation process is conducted by the Revaluation Task Force, a non-elected, citizen-appointed group whose meetings are open to the public and occur on the first Tuesday of each month at the Commissioners’ Meeting Room at 110 N. Green St. in Morganton.

Epley said he expects there to be a public hearing in November to adopt a “schedule of values,” an outline of how different property types will be valued during the reappraisal. The schedule of values will be available for review in the tax office for 21 days between the end of September and the beginning of October.

DSS UPDATE

According to Director of Social Services Korey Fisher-Wellman, Child Protection Services (CPS) reports have dropped, as they often do during the summer.

Open CPS caseloads, as of May, had dropped to 150 across the county, with Fisher-Wellman explaining that the changes marked a 50% reduction since December 2025. Currently, Fisher-Wellman said there were about 120 open cases, a significant decline from over 200 in July 2025.

However, in closing cases, more children have ended up in foster care, pushing the number to 220, including 11 new entries in the month of May alone.

A $1.63M BUDGET AMENDMENT

The commissioners approved a budget amendment of $1.63 million after receiving a grant for the Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program (StRAP), focused on projects aimed at reducing flooding, restoring streams, and protecting the integrity of drainage infrastructure.

Projects eligible for StRAP funding include vegetative debris and instream sediment removal, streambank stabilization, stream restoration, and the repair and rehabilitation of small watershed structures.

The $1.63 million will be spread across multiple years and 19 sites, with a projected end-date of October 2028.

FALL CITIZENS ACADEMY

Epley reported that the second cohort of Citizens Academy ended well with 16 participants finishing the program. The program educates residents 18 and older on the Burke County Government and how it operates.

“Each week is in a different location,” Epley said. “We meet at the 911 Center for public safety; we go out to our solid waste facility. It’s really an opportunity to meet the people in those roles and understand why those operational components are being offered, why we do them, (and) how we measure our performance and productivity.”

Sessions last two hours every Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Applications are now open for the fall Citizens Academy, a six-week curriculum beginning Sept. 10 and lasting through Oct. 15.

PUBLIC PARK IN MOTION

Duke Energy is constructing the Fonta Flora Access Area on Lake James and will begin negotiating with the county on operating the surrounding 10.6 acres of land as a public park in conjunction with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

Because the county is already responsible for the restrooms on the property, the agreement would have little to no effect on county costs.