SALISBURY — Notices for this year’s tax revaluation will be mailed out by the end of next week, according to Rowan County Tax Assessor Chip Main.

“Unless we have some kind of computer glitch because it’s a gigantic job to mail 80,000 notices out,” Main said.

Main and Salisbury Finance Director Wade Furches shared an overview of the upcoming tax revaluation process with the city council Tuesday night. Main has visited a majority of the cities in Rowan County giving the same presentation. He advised that there are still a few records and data to go over before notices are sent. The revaluation is a process that happens every four years in Rowan County in which real property values are updated to reflect the fair market value at current rates.

Once notices are received, an informal appeal process begins where people can challenge the county’s findings. Starting in April, a more formal appeal process will commence and will run until June. Main said there is an elderly/disabled veterans exclusion where people can reach out to the Rowan County Assessor’s Office to see if they meet certain qualifications and are eligible for a 50 percent tax reduction. The property tax value would stay the same, but the owner would get a discount on what they have to pay.

Forward 2040

The Salisbury City Council also officially adopted the Forward 2040 comprehensive plan that will help guide the city in its pursuit for long-term economic development growth. Since a draft of the plans was released last November, the city has made more than 20 presentations and has been in contact with more than 400 people in order to get feedback and make adjustments.

Draft changes include minor grammar and spelling errors, image quality, updated and added appendices, removal of redundant policies, and addition of actions to Kesler Mill, the litter campaign and housing strategies. An “evaluation and assessment tool” will be used to help review, revise and remove parts of the plan as time goes on.

Planning Director Hannah Jacobson says “it feels wonderful” to have the plan approved, but she is ready to get started on plans that require immediate action.

“We’re going to be continuing to work with the municipalities in Rowan County, working on our growth boundaries,” said Jacobson. “We’re going to be looking at trying to do some land use planning along the I-85 corridor. Another one we’re going to be looking at fiscal impact analysis tool, so as we look at annexations, it’s a tool that measures the fiscal benefit of those.”