COLUMBUS – After going through a property revaluation this year, which will be effective Jan. 1, 2017, the Polk County Board of Commissioners decided to have revaluations every four years instead of every eight years.

Commissioners met Nov. 21 and unanimously approved switching to four-year property revaluations.

Polk County Tax Administrator Melissa Bowlin said the N.C. Department of Revenue is going to recommend counties go to a four-year cycle. She said it helps to avoid the extreme ups and downs and helps counties budget more accurately.

“It helps us to avoid sticker shock,” Bowlin told commissioners.

Bowlin said she has worked in the tax office for 10 years and sees all the work that goes into a revaluation. The current revaluation put the county in a really good place, she said, and she thinks because of that the county could cut the next one in half in terms of price, estimated at $170,000.

“The listers wouldn’t be walking every property like this one,” Bowlin said. “I think that would be the best cost savings for the county.”

Polk County contracted with Wampler Eanes Appraisal Group LTD this year for the revaluation with a contract of $332,330.

Commissioner chair Michael Gage asked if four years from now the cost is estimated at $170,000, how much would eight years from now cost.

Bowlin said it could be $170,000 again in eight years. The next revaluation would have to begin in 2019, she said.

“Even though the cost is $170,000 or a little bit more, I think it’s an advantage to the citizens and the county,” said Bowlin.

Commissioner Ray Gasperson said he thinks it’s wise for the county to change to four-year revaluations. He said he was on the board when the last revaluation took place and it was right as the great recession was hitting. Gasperson said the county has had to refund properties at Bright’s Creek over $300,000 since the last revaluation. Several Bright’s Creek property owners appealed their values following the last revaluation to the county’s equalization and review board.

Referring to $300,000 in refunds, “That’s the cost of a reval,” Gasperson said.

Gasperson said if the county had been on a four-year cycle they may have caught those values.

He also said the refunds took an immense amount of time for commissioners in closed session meetings, for the tax office and attorneys.

The state currently requires counties to conduct property revaluations every eight years but many counties across North Carolina have gone to revaluations every four years to minimize the difference in values.

Polk’s last revaluation was effective Jan. 1, 2009.