Hundreds of homeowners attended a meeting with Shenandoah County officials to discuss the recent real estate reassessments, according to NVDaily.com.

Many homeowners shared stories of being on fixed incomes, and not able to meet the increase in taxes that will likely follow the increased property assessments. They also discussed the fear of fragmentation that could occur as owners would sell off parcels of their land to cover the cost of the increased taxes. Fragmentation can hinder some communities by creating unplanned increases in needs for services, schools, transportation and public safety. The homeowners convinced the Board of Supervisors to take another look at the recent reassessments for valdity.

"With hundreds of people angry about the recent real estate reassessments present, the chairman of the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors conceded Thursday night that a meeting with the appraisal group to get justification of its findings was needed.

At the largest supervisors meeting in years -- perhaps in history -- several hundred people filled Central High School's gymnasium seeking answers on the increased reassessments and likelihood of a tax increase as a result. According to a presentation from County Administrator Vince Poling, changes in real property assessed values went up 21.9 percent, from $4.36 billion to $5.32 billion, in the preliminary 2009-10 figures determined by Wampler/Eanes Appraisal Group, which was hired by the supervisors for $450,000.

The county typically conducts reassessments every four years, Poling said.

In the presentation, he noted that the new reassessment does not necessarily mean a person's taxes will go up, which elicited laughter from the crowd and one person yelling, 'Tell us another one.' Instead, Poling said, the assessed value and the county's tax rate are used in conjunction to determine the final tax bill.

Enough people were present and vocal Thursday to give Board Chairman David Ferguson concern about the validity of the reassessments. He said the board needed to go back and address the matter with Wampler/ Eanes."

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