HB1780: Real estate tax; requires each locality to lower its rate for forthcoming tax year.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 58.1-3321 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 58.1-3321. Effect on rate when assessment results in tax increase; public hearings.
A. When any annual assessment, biennial assessment or general
reassessment of real property by a county, city or town would result in an
increase of 1 percent or more in the total real property tax levied, such
county, city, or town shall reduce its rate of levy for the forthcoming tax
year so as to cause such rate of levy to produce no more than 101 percent of
the previous year's real property tax levies, unless
subsection B of this section is complied with, which rate shall be
determined by multiplying the previous year's total real property tax levies by
101 percent and dividing the product by the forthcoming tax year's total real
property assessed value. An additional assessment or reassessment due to the
construction of new or other improvements, including those improvements and
changes set forth in § 58.1-3285, to the property shall not be an annual
assessment or general reassessment within the meaning of this section, nor
shall the assessed value of such improvements be included in calculating the
new tax levy for purposes of this section. Special levies shall not be included
in any calculations provided for under this section.
B. The governing body of a county, city, or town may, after conducting a public hearing, which shall not be held at the same time as the annual budget hearing and shall not be held within 30 days of reducing the rate under subsection A, increase the rate above the reduced rate required in subsection A above if any such increase is deemed to be necessary by such governing body.
Notice of the public hearing shall be given at least seven days before the date of such hearing by the publication of a notice in at least one newspaper of general circulation in such county or city. Such notice shall be at least the size of one-eighth page of a standard size or a tabloid size newspaper, and the headline in the advertisement shall be in a type no smaller than 18-point. The notice shall not be placed in that portion, if any, of the newspaper reserved for legal notices and classified advertisements. The notice shall be in the following form and contain the following information, in addition to such other information as the local governing body may elect to include:
NOTICE OF PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX RATE INCREASE
The (name of the county, city or town) proposes to increase real
property tax levies rates from $... per $100 of assessed value to $... per $100 of assessed value. The proposed rate
is ...% higher than the current rate.
1. Assessment Increase: Total assessed value of
real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or
improvements to property, exceeds last year's total assessed value of real
property by .... . percent.
2. Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased
Assessment: The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as
last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with
the exclusions mentioned above, would be $.... per $100 of assessed value. This
rate will be known as the "lowered tax rate."
3. Effective Rate Increase: The (name of the
county, city or town) proposes to adopt a tax rate of $.... per $100 of
assessed value. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed
rate would be $. ... per $100, or .... percent. This difference will be known
as the "effective tax rate increase."
Individual property taxes may, however, increase at
a percentage greater than or less than the above percentage.
4. Proposed Total Budget Increase: Based on the
proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, the total budget
of (name of county, city or town) will exceed last year's by .... percent.
A public hearing on the increase will be held on (date and time) at (meeting place).
C. All hearings shall be open to the public. The governing body shall permit persons desiring to be heard an opportunity to present oral testimony within such reasonable time limits as shall be determined by the governing body.
D. The provisions of this section shall not be applicable to the assessment of public service corporation property by the State Corporation Commission.
E. Notwithstanding other provisions of general or special law, the tax rate for taxes due on or before June 30 of each year, may be fixed on or before April 15 of that tax year.