Rising values could affect tax bills when supervisors set rates next spring
Heather Michon, Editor
Fluvanna County property owners will soon learn how much their homes and property have changed in value as the county prepares to mail notices for its 2027 real estate reassessment later this month.
Jason Cowan of Cowan Services, the firm conducting the reassessment, told the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, Oct. 7, that property values have continued to rise since the 2025 reassessment, although the pace has slowed considerably compared to the period immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cowan said his team had examined local property sales, market trends and federal housing data to determine how values have changed across the county.
Several methods suggested market appreciation of 7% to 10% since the previous reassessment. However, Cowan’s preliminary calculations also indicated that existing assessments would need an overall adjustment of approximately 19% to bring them into line with current market values.
That does not mean every property owner will see a 19% increase. Individual assessments will vary depending on the property’s location, condition, improvements, and comparable sales.
Cowan noted that, after years of favoring sellers, the local real estate market appears to be moving toward a more balanced position.
Recent data showed about six months of housing inventory, which Cowan said is generally considered the dividing line between a seller’s market and a buyer’s market. Appropriately priced homes continue to sell, but buyers have more choices than during the pandemic-era housing boom.
Cowan said his team has also been reviewing land values, construction costs, and depreciation schedules to improve consistency across the county.
The county expects to mail reassessment notices in late October, giving property owners a chance to review their new values and request corrections if they believe their property was assessed incorrectly.
The contractor will offer online appointment scheduling, telephone hearings, and in-person meetings to make the appeals process more accessible.
Cowan said the goal is to give property owners a way to raise concerns and have their assessments reviewed. “We may disagree or agree,” he said, but everyone would have the opportunity to be heard.
The reassessment itself does not determine how much property owners will pay in taxes.
Supervisors will set the county’s real estate tax rate in mid-April 2027 as part of the annual budget process. Before doing so, the county must calculate and advertise an equalized tax rate that would generate approximately the same revenue from existing real estate as the previous year, excluding new construction and improvements.
Supervisors can adopt that rate or set a different one, so higher assessments don’t necessarily mean proportionally higher tax bills.
In recent years, supervisors have lowered the real estate tax rate following reassessments, but not enough to completely offset rising property values.
After the 2023 reassessment, which increased countywide valuations by 12.3%, supervisors set a tax rate about 9% above the equalized rate. The 2025 reassessment brought a much larger 22.5% increase in property values, followed by a tax rate that was 8.85% above the equalized rate. Individual homeowners saw varying increases depending on how much their assessments had changed.
Whether that pattern continues in 2027 will depend on the final reassessment figures and the budget decisions supervisors make next spring.
Property owners will receive their first tax bills based on the new assessments in early May, with payment due June 5.
Supervisors also discussed extending the appeal deadline to the county’s Board of Equalization from April 18 to May 17, 2027.
County Administrator Eric Dahl explained that the later deadline would give homeowners about two weeks after receiving their spring tax bills to challenge their assessments, even though they’ve had access to their new property values since the fall.
Splash pad money gets a new purpose
A splash pad might be the perfect way for kids to beat the summer heat, but Fluvanna County’s long-standing plans to build one at Pleasant Grove Park have always run into one big problem: not enough water.
With a permanent water supply still years away, Parks and Recreation Director Aaron Spitzer asked supervisors to redirect the $200,000 set aside for the splash pad to projects they can tackle now.
First, replace the aging floor at Carysbrook.
The gymnasium’s original wooden floor was installed in 1939 and has developed the problems that come with 87 years of continuous use: protruding nails, dead spots, and deteriorating subflooring.
The gym is used six days a week for athletic programs, recreation classes, and other activities.
Supervisors previously allocated $50,000 to replace the floor, but roof leaks delayed the work. With the roof now largely repaired, Spitzer requested an additional $67,400 from the unused splash pad funding to complete the project.
The replacement would include permanently marked courts for basketball, volleyball, and pickleball, eliminating some of the temporary tape currently used to mark playing areas.
The remaining $132,600 would go toward making the new Carysbrook playground more accessible to children with disabilities.
Because the playground replaces an aging facility, it was already designed to meet accessibility standards. However, discussions with parents and members of the school division’s Special Education Advisory Committee identified additional improvements that would allow more children to play together.
Spitzer proposed spending approximately $120,977 on poured-rubber surfacing and additional inclusive playground equipment.
Unlike loose rubber mulch, the solid surface would let children using wheelchairs and other mobility devices move more easily throughout the playground.
Another $11,623 would pay for a four-foot fence around the playground. Parents had requested fencing to help protect children who may wander away from play areas without recognizing potential dangers.
Spitzer said the goal is to make the county’s playgrounds genuinely accessible, not just meet minimum legal requirements.
The department is working toward similar improvements at other county playgrounds, including Pleasant Grove Park and the Fluvanna Community Center.
Although the changes would exhaust the existing splash pad allocation, Spitzer emphasized that he has not abandoned the project. He hopes to return once the necessary water infrastructure is in place.
For now, the money would address an aging athletic facility and make a new playground more welcoming to children of all abilities.
