http://66.225.205.104/TL20120430.mp3
Mecklenburg County Commissioners will discuss Tuesday a proposal for a full audit of the 2011 revaluation of property.
Commissioner Karen Bentley is one of the commissioners calling for the audit. She's been flooded with complaints from upset homeowners. They say not only that their property was valued too high, but that the appeals process was also flawed. "A good clear look at the implementation and execution of the 2011 revaluation is necessary to ensure confidence in the system as well as ensure the trust of the taxpayers," she says.
The county's website incorrectly stated that property owners would need an attorney to appeal their property valuation. That's been corrected, but Emily Zuyus, a Myers Park homeowner, argues that the county's false information kept property owners from appealing. "And I feel confident that an audit will show that the process just didn't work," she says.
Zuyus helped gather a petition of 275 residents from her neighborhood calling for the audit. She believes her property is overvalued, especially the lot her house is on. It jumped from $936,800 to almost $1.2 million, increasing her property taxes by close to $3,000. The proposal asks the county manager to return to the commission in 15 days with a list of potential auditors. After that, the commission will vote on a firm and then give that firm 60 days to perform the audit. The proposal sets aside $50,000 for the audit and also calls for another mass appraisal in 2014.