S474 - Adjust Counties/Reappraisal Moratorium. (SL 2026-47)

Section 1 of S.L. 2026-8 required any county that (i) had a population of 15,000 or greater according to the latest federal decennial census and (ii) conducted a general reappraisal for 2026 and adopted a new schedule of values effective January 1, 2026, to postpone that reappraisal and instead implement the reappraisal in 2027. Therefore, S.L. 2026-8 subjected nine counties to the property tax reappraisal moratorium: Anson, Bladen, Buncombe, Davidson, Guilford, Harnett, Onslow, Pender, and Scotland. Chowan, Clay, and Pamlico Counties also conducted 2026 reappraisals, but each fell below the 15,000-population limit.

S.L. 2026-47 modified Section 1 of S.L. 2026-8 to adjust the counties subject to the property tax reappraisal moratorium by requiring any county that conducted a general reappraisal for 2026 to postpone that reappraisal until 2027, unless any of the following exemptions apply:

• General Exemption – The moratorium does not apply to a county meeting any of the following criteria:

• Has a population of less than 12,000 according to the latest federal decennial census.
  • Clay County is exempt under this metric; however, Chowan and Pamlico Counties no longer qualify for exemption.
• Is in the third year following its notice of mandatory reappraisal advancement with a population of less than 150,000 according to the latest federal decennial census.
  • Harnett County is exempt under this metric.
• Has levied a property tax rate, exclusive of any special tax area, in excess of $0.95 per $100 of property value at any point over the previous four taxable years.
  • Scotland County is exempt under this metric.

• Is in a Helene affected area, as defined in Section 1.4 of S.L. 2025-2.
• Is not otherwise exempt under a general exemption, above.
• For the taxable year beginning July 1, 2026, adopts a property tax rate at or below the rate equal to its revenue-neutral property tax rate rounded up to the next whole cent.
  • Buncombe County could have qualified for exemption under these criteria; however, it is subject to the moratorium because it did not adopt a property tax rate at or below the rounded revenue-neutral rate.

Therefore, after the passage of S.L. 2026-47, nine counties are subject to the property tax reappraisal moratorium: Anson, Bladen, Buncombe, Chowan, Davidson, Guilford, Onslow, Pamlico, and Pender.

S.L. 2026-47 also provides that if its passage affects a county that already passed its 2026-2027 fiscal year budget ordinance, the county must amend its budget ordinance to reflect the updated law. Buncombe County was also provided the option of amending its budget to qualify under the revenue-neutral rate exemption.

This act became effective July 7, 2026.