A public hearing was held December 20th for the Mitchell County schedule of values for the 2022 tax reappraisal. Prior to the hearing Tax Assessor Blair Hyder introduced the schedule of values, which is considered a manual for reappraisal. This schedule has been available for public viewing.
Mitchell County resident Bill Jones detailed the findings of his research into tax assessment values. Jones complained about the tax assessment on properties owned and used by Sibelco and Quartz Corp. He feels that Mitchell County’s most valuable natural resources are making billions for these companies and the funds then go overseas.
Commissioner Jeff Harding thanked Jones for coming to the meeting and said that if the mining companies are ever found not to be paying their fair share, the board will go through the process to correct it.
Sam Rogers, who is involved with the “Save Mitchell County, NC” website along with Jones said he hoped the issue could be solved informally otherwise he would go to the Board of Equalization and Review. Tax Assessor Hyder pointed out that Quartz and Sibelco are the top two taxpayers in the county and that the properties around them also contribute. Former County Attorney Lloyd Hise invited Jones and Rogers to appeal to the state if they are not satisfied with the outcome.
