[Durham INC] Draft September minutes

[Pat Carstensen]

September Delegate Meeting
InterNeighborhood Council of Durham
Golden Belt Neighborhood Improvement Services meeting room, with zoom option
September 24, 2024

Attending the meeting were:
Neighborhoods
Burch Avenue – Cristen Jones
Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen
Long Meadow – Pakis Bessias
Morehead Hill – Bruce Mitchell
Northgate Park – Keith Cochran
Trinity Park – Mimi Kessler, Mary Molina
Tuscaloosa-Lakewood - Susan Sewall
Watts Hospital Hillandale – Tom Miller

Guests
Keyar Doyle - Tax Administrator
Starlin Beatty – Deputy Assessor, Tax Administration

President Mimi Kessler called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM, and folks introduced themselves.

Presentation on 2025 Reappraisal
The 2025 reappraisal will have the biggest increases in property values we have ever  seen; the whole Piedmont is going through the same rise in prices.  We have had tremendous growth in population, from 224K to 340K in 24 years, driving demand.

Reappraisals are required in NC at least once every 8 years; the last one was in 2019; since we want to have appraisal match market value, we do reappraisals more frequently than required.  Doing the reappraisal takes about 2 years.  The process equalizes tax base, but it is not considered or intended to be a revenue generator – the tax rates can be adjusted to reflect new values.

Median real estate price (median price is a more stable measure than average price, in that it is less affected by outliers) was about $240K in 2019; today it is $430K (a little higher in city than in county).  Changes in the tax amount for a given property will reflect how the property’s value changes compared to the average change, if governing boards choose to make the re-appraisal revenue neutral.  If a resident makes a significant improvement in their property (new deck, new kitchen, for example), they need to get a permit and an inspection, which alerts the Tax Department to come set a new appraisal for the property.   They evaluate by both driving around the neighborhoods and using modern electronic mass-appraisal systems (NCPTS).  The Tax Office has invested a lot to increase the expertise of their staff.  Final Review is in November; appeals will be in March 2025.

There are state tax relief programs for lower-income elderly and disabled homeowners; the income limits are set state-wide and some counties would have 100% of their older residents qualifying for tax relief if the limits were higher.  Durham also has the DSS low-income homeowner relief program, which is a tax assistance program.

You have the right to appeal, and he encourages people to appeal if they think the assessment is wrong.  The first thing to check is to make sure that the data about the property is check (it is on the Tax Administration website and asking for corrections is not considered to be an appeal).  You can also look at  the characteristics of your property and what sales have been happening around you, using the Tax Administration website to make comparisons.  The first step in the appeals process is talking to an appraiser to get a more accurate view of your property, and then you can keep appealing up a chain of local board, state appeals board, and then Appeals Court.  The point is to be transparent, equitable and fair.  More information will be coming to the website: https://www.dconc.gov/county-departments/departments-f-z/tax-administration/2025-general-reappraisal-revaluation-copy
Minutes Approval – Tom moved to approve the August minutes, Bruce seconded, and they were approved.
Officer Election – The Nominating Committee put forward these names for the 2024-25 officers:
President
Mimi Kessler
Trinity Park
Vice President
Keith Cochran
Northgate Park
Secretary
Pat Carstensen
Cross-County
Treasurer
Susan Sewall
TLNA
Executive Committee At-Large
Mimi O’Brien
Old North Durham
Executive Committee At-Large
Tom Miller
WHHNA
Communications Manager
Pakis Bessias
Long Meadow
Bruce moved to nominate the above slate, Tom seconded and this was approved.
Northgate Small Area Plan review/feedback – remember to provide feedback.
Adjusting the date of the November meeting – Tom moved to have the November and December meetings on December 10.  We’ll decide next month about where to do it.
A new Planning Academy is starting. There was a short discussion about it providing people with some basic information about how zoning and building works. It is worth the time.
National Night Out is October 1st; there is on open invitation to Watts Hospital - Hillandale at Tom’s.
Northgate Park is concerned about lead in the park; Keith will post information to the list-serve.  They will also do a lead testing clinic at the next food truck rodeo.
Adjournment at 9:10PM.





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