The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors voted last week to extend the county’s real estate reassessment cycle from four years to five, a move officials say will allow property values to better reflect longer-term market changes.
Under the new schedule, reassessment preparations will begin in 2027, and updated property values will take effect on Jan. 1, 2029. Previously, the next reassessment would have started in early 2026, with new values effective Jan. 1, 2028.
The decision follows provisions in the Code of Virginia § 58.1-3252, which allows counties with populations of 50,000 or less to conduct reassessments every five or six years instead of the standard four. Botetourt County, which currently conducts reassessments on a four-year cycle, completed its most recent countywide review in 2024.
County officials said the change gives staff more time to plan and execute the reassessment while capturing a broader range of market activity. “Extending the cycle allows property values to account for a longer stretch of market changes,” a county spokesperson said. “As a result, shifts in home values may be more noticeable when reassessments occur.”
Reassessments involve nearly two years of work and require coordination between county staff and contracted appraisal firms. Longer intervals between reassessments can lead to larger changes in property values at the time of review, potentially impacting taxes for residents.
Board members weighed factors including market equity, administrative burden, taxpayer impact, and revenue stability before approving the extension. Officials emphasized that while a five-year cycle may result in larger valuation shifts, it also reduces the frequency of adjustments to the county’s tax base.
The board’s vote ensures staff can begin planning and procurement activities on the revised timeline, aiming for a smooth transition to the new reassessment schedule.
Supervisors vote to abolish Highway Safety Commission
The Board unanimously voted at the Jan. meeting to abolish the county’s Highway Safety Commission, concluding that the long-standing body no longer serves an active role in county government.
The decision followed a public hearing on a proposed ordinance amendment to the Botetourt County Code of 1985 that repeals Sections 2-76 through 2-78, which established and governed the commission. No opposition was voiced during the public hearing.
County officials said the Highway Safety Commission, while active in past decades, has not met in several years because many of its responsibilities have shifted to other agencies.
“Many of the functions that had historically been carried out by the commission are now performed by the Virginia Department of Transportation, the county Department of Community Development, and the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Transportation Planning Organization,” staff noted in materials provided to the board.
Under county code, the commission was required to meet at least four times a year and carry out duties assigned by the Board of Supervisors. However, staff reported that the lack of business for the commission to conduct made continued operation unnecessary.
Following the public hearing, the board adopted a resolution amending the county code to formally repeal the ordinance creating the Highway Safety Commission. Supervisors found that abolishing the commission was advisable and in the interest of public health, safety and general welfare.
The adopted ordinance specifies that Chapter 2, Article V of the county code will be reserved for future use and clarifies that no former ordinances are revived by the repeal. The action also does not limit the board’s authority to create or appoint future committees or commissions to advise on transportation matters if the need arises.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
