Mecklenburg County Assessor Garrett Alexander met with a group of officials and homeowners in Cornelius on Friday regarding the 2011 revaluation. He has agreed to review the data and to determine if any adjustments are warranted.  The review does not mean that adjustments are warranted.  There is no indication at this time that this review will postpone the appeals process.

Some property owners in Cornelius and others along Lake Norman have voiced concerns about the significant increases in their revalued property.

Here is the text of an email Alexander sent to officials and his staff on Monday, March 5:

Good Morning Everyone, 

I want to thank you for the opportunity to meet with you and discuss the valuation perspectives and concerns.  My thanks also to Commissioner Bentley, for her leadership in arranging the meeting, and for keeping us on point throughout the afternoon.  I appreciate the information you provided and it will be helpful in our review of the Cornelius area.   

I have taken time to carefully review the input you provided and I am taking action steps to address the concerns.  Based on the information you provided, I will recommend to the Board of Equalization and Review that steps be considered to review the appeals on an area wide basis and to as much as is possible postpone and/or reschedule appeals from your area county to allow time to evaluate the information you provided.  I am directing Assessor’s Office staff to review the property valuation basis for Cornelius and the Lake Norman area and to determine the equity of the application of value to individual properties. The conclusion from that review will be given to the Board of Equalization and Review (BER) for their consideration.  Any recommendations for changes in value and equalization adjustments will be delivered to the BER for consideration as well.  The only exception to this process that I can see at issue, is that some Cornelius and Lake Norman area residents may want to have their appeal heard on its present schedule prior to the conclusion of the review.  We have several that are pressing to be heard as quickly as possible.  In these cases we will try accommodate their desire for an expeditious hearing. The BER can reconsider any decision and make any additional changes that may be warranted for those appeals after they have been adjudicated.

In addition, this morning I asked staff to begin updating the appeals website to provide citizens with a simple directive of how to consider their property valuation and what steps should be taken for appealing at this stage of the appeals process.  The BER documentation is also being reviewed for improvement in communication.  

I would like to schedule a meeting at the conclusion of the review and provide you with the County’s findings.  I trust you will share this communication with other attendees at our meeting.  Please let me know if you have additional questions. 

Kindest Regards,

Garrett Alexander
Mecklenburg County Assessor