Anita Firebaugh
Contributing Writer
The Board of Equalization will hear appeals and receive complaints concerning the fair market value of real estate assessments from any taxpayer or his agent in late April and mid-May. Applications must be received by April 22, 2024.
The Board of Equalization hears complaints, either oral or written, for consideration to increase, decrease, or affirm real estate assessments. Before a change is granted, the taxpayer or agent must provide evidence that property is not uniform and in accordance with other similar properties. The property valuation must be found to be in excess of its fair market value.
Appointments will be scheduled every fifteen minutes. The Board of Equalization will meet April 22, 2024, 4-8 p.m., May 14, 2024, 1-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., and May 16, 2024, 4-8 p.m. Additional dates will be set if deemed necessary and advertised.
An application form along with other information about The Board of Equalization is available on the Craig County website at craigva.gov/board-of-equalization.
The Board of Supervisors chose members for the Board of Equalization at its March 7, 2024 meeting, and the members were confirmed on March 13 by the Craig County Circuit Court. The Board of Equalization members are Anita Martindell, Jim Cady, Jerry Groseclose, Julie Welch, and Lenny Macdonald.
Wampler-Eanes Appraisal Group, Ltd. performed the reassessment for Craig County and completed it in 2023. Craig County performs a reassessment every six years. By state law, values assessed to real estate must be at 100 percent of market value. When performing a reassessment, Wampler-Eanes sends field inspectors to visit accessible property and talk to homeowners if someone is home. They also viewed property records and used GIS information to view property lines, open land, woodland, and waterfront property.
Steve Wampler with Wampler-Eanes said the increase on residential real estate was 38 percent after the first set of reassessment hearings in November.
“We had about 128 log cabins, and they seemed to all go up quite a bit,” Wampler said. “Everybody wants a log cabin, a white pine tree, and a trout stream in their front yard, that’s why they’re going to Craig.”
Wampler noted that Craig County’s real estate values have trended upwards like all other areas they serve. “They waited six years [to do the reassessment] and that’s a long wait,” Wampler said. “The other thing is the National Forest, most everything touches the National Forest there in Craig and people are paying a premium for it.”
The Craig County Board of Supervisors has not yet determined the tax rate for Craig County for the current year. The most recent tax rate for Craig County is $0.63 per $100 value but that is expected to be lower in order to equalize the taxes people pay. The amount of the tax rate ultimately determines how much individuals pay for their real estate taxes.
Residents can call 540-864-5009, extension 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with questions or concerns related to the Board of Equalization. Meetings will be held at the Craig County Courthouse in New Castle.
