New property assessments for Washington County and Bristol VA complete

Bristol and Washington County, Va. homeowners have been receiving the results of new property values based on a recent reassessment. Letters revealing new assessed values after the first assessment in four years started hitting people’s mailboxes late last week. New values went up by an average 52% in Bristol and 67% in Washington County and will affect what people pay in property taxes to some extent, but most homeowners will not see tax bill increases anywhere near that level. The final tax rate that would apply to the new values will be set in the spring of 2025. Without action by the city council or county board of supervisors in a public meeting, the new rate will be set at a level that “equalizes” the amount of money coming in — meaning some property owners would actually pay even less than they are now, and some more. Property owners who want to appeal the assessments can do so with the companies that conducted the assessments. If an appeal is denied, owners can appeal to the local board of equalization, which is appointed through the circuit court, with a direct appeal to the circuit court as the final option.