A bill that would change the list of North Carolina counties subject to a moratorium on property tax revaluation this year hit a snag Tuesday in the state Senate.
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Senate Bill 474 would make changes to a bill signed into law by Gov. Josh Stein last Friday. That law, Senate Bill 889, enacts a moratorium on property tax revaluations Anson, Bladen, Buncombe, Davidson, Guilford, Harnett, Onslow, Pender and Scotland counties. S474 would remove Buncombe, Harnett and Scotland counties from the moratorium, but add Chowan and Pamlico.
Stein said Friday he signed S889 because it provides needed tax relief and will bring down costs for homeowners. But the governor also urged lawmakers to vote in favor of S474.
Buncombe County leaders are concerned the property tax assessment freeze will force them to forgo new tax revenue at a time they’re struggling to recover financially from Hurricane Helene.
“Senate Bill 474 would shield Buncombe County and other jurisdictions recovering from the storm, and I urge the Senate to pass it,” Stein said in a statement.
But on Tuesday, Sen. Steve Jarvis (R-Davidson), a bill sponsor, asked colleagues to vote against S474 because of concerns about the constitutionality of a section of the bill. He didn’t cite the section of the bill in question.
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“This bill was sent over to us by the House and I think there’s still some work that needs to be done,” Jarvis said.
The Senate voted 33-12, with Republicans in the majority, not to agree with the House’s version of the bill. For a bill to become law, both chambers must pass the same version.
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The original moratorium in S889 would apply to any county with a populations of at least 15,000 people with a reappraisal coming to their tax bills in 2026.
The Republican-backed moratorium grew out of growing concerns about rising property taxes and the need to help tax-burdened residents stay in their homes while legislators craft more comprehensive property tax reform proposals in the coming months.
Democrats from Guilford County have been vocal in their opposition to S889, and vigorously pushed back against the bill during committee debates. S889, they argued, would cause Guilford County Schools more than $50 million in funding and make it difficult for the county to provide essential services.
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