Nash County Manager Stacie Shatzer made a presentation Monday at the Board of Commissioners meeting regarding inaccurate media and social media reports concerning county finances. As part of her presentation, Shatzer outlined the facts of the 2024-25 fiscal year budget and shed light on how the new spending plan was affected by the recent countywide revaluation.
One of the rumors Shatzer addressed is that real property tax bills this year will be 29 percent higher than in the previous year. She then demonstrated, using simple math, how this is not true.
“On multiple occasions, inaccurate, invented and baseless information has been shared on media platforms such as television media, radio media and social media,” Shatzer told the board. “Nash County will begin taking an opportunity at the first meeting of the month to establish an agenda item to address untruthful claims that are brought to our attention. In a recent television segment, a caller stated that ‘the public needs to know’ and we could not agree more. Therefore, we will transparently present factual information to correct the deceptive statements we hear.”
In a recently broadcast WHIG Live Morning Show, an unidentified caller accused the Nash County Board of Commissioners of misleading the public concerning the 2024-25 fiscal year budget.
The misinformation about the effect revaluation would have on tax bills came toward the end of the caller’s comments.
“I think we’re looking at somewhere about a 29 percent increase in property taxes to balance that budget,” the caller stated.
Shatzer disputed that information, stating that revaluation is mandated by the state, and that the 2024-25 fiscal year budget calls for reducing the tax rate by four cents from the previous fiscal year’s 67 cents per $100 in valuation to 63 cents.
“This change will result in various percentage increases or decreases in property tax, depending on the individual property,” Shatzer stated.
Using an example of a home valued at $190,000 in 2023 and now valued at $230,000 in 2024, Shatzer illustrated with simple math how the new tax bill would be 13.8 percent higher. Another scenario showed a tax increase of 15.5 percent while a third scenario showed a decrease of 27 percent.
The cumulative effect of revaluation is that the value of real property in Nash County increased 28 percent from the previous year, she said.
It was also stated by the caller that only deputies from the Nash County Sheriff’s Office received raises in the new budget. Shatzer showed how numerous job classifications at the sheriff’s office also received raises.
Commissioner Fred Belfield thanked Shatzer for her report before offering his insight on the problem of disinformation spreading.
“People don’t seem to care if information is factual or false,” Belfield said. “If it satisfies their agenda, they’re going to promote it whether it’s right or wrong.”
Shatzer said the entirety of the budget can be viewed online at nashcountync.gov/607/Budget.
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