Event Recap
Meeting Overview
On September 28, 2026, the Buncombe County Board of Equalization and Review convened to address routine administrative matters, hear property tax appeals, and consider changes to the annual appeal schedule. The agenda included the approval of previous minutes, the review of late exemption applications, and a discussion on standardizing dates for taxpayer appeals.
Key Decisions
The Board approved the minutes from the June 22, 2026, meeting and approved late exemption applications submitted for good cause. Regarding two appeals concerning business personal property late listing penalties, the Board voted to uphold the 10% late penalty assigned by the county. The Chair stated, "We voted for the appeal to fail and for the penalty to stand." Additionally, the Board voted to approve a staff recommendation to establish a consistent annual appeal period. The approved motion specifies that the appeal period will begin on the first Monday in April and end on the first Monday in May, with provisions to move the date to the next business day if a holiday or closure occurs.
Discussion Highlights
During the hearing of the business personal property appeals, the appellant argued that the U.S. Postal Service failed to deliver their listings on time. In response, the business personal property manager clarified the basis for the penalty, stating, "The 10% is actually by the state... 10% for a year for each year late."
In the new business segment, a staff member explained the rationale for the proposed standardization of appeal dates, noting, "We’re going to make it more cleaner, not confuse everybody with the multiple dates like we’ve always done historically in our office... Let’s make it one day. First Monday in May. We can tell everybody that’s your appeal deadline." When asked about potential conflicts with holidays, the staff member responded, "You can make it the very next day... That’s a great question."
Follow-ups
A staff member committed to keeping the Board informed regarding the scheduling of future meetings and the status of formal appeals related to the reappraisal, stating, "I’ll keep you all posted on that and we’ll email everything out." The Chair noted that the next meeting date was not yet set but suggested October 26 as a tentative date, pending the volume of appeals.
Impact
The decision to standardize the annual appeal period aims to reduce confusion for the public by replacing historically variable dates with a fixed schedule. By setting the appeal window to run from the first Monday in April to the first Monday in May, taxpayers will have a clear, predictable deadline for filing appeals. The upholding of the 10% late penalty for business personal property reinforces the state-mandated consequences for late listings, while the approval of late exemptions for good cause addresses specific individual circumstances.