The 2019 land roll for Lincoln County property owners is available for inspection.

County appraiser Mason Smith told supervisors recently that preliminary numbers show an increase in assessed value of about $1.5 million. He contributes that bump to new home builds. There were 67 added to the rolls for the year, which is slightly higher than the 60 to 65 usually recorded.

“We’re talking about anywhere from $50,000 homes to up to a half-million dollar homes. Those half-million dollar homes really help,” he said.

The public is urged to inspect the rolls, which are available digitally in the Lincoln County Chancery Clerk’s office at the Lincoln County-Brookhaven Government Complex.

“This is the time for the people to come in and look to see what the value is and if they have a problem with that value they can come talk to us about it,” Smith said.

Property owners will have through July to contest their appraised value at the Lincoln County Tax Assessor’s office. That’s the first step.

If a solution is not reached, the taxpayer will be placed on the agenda to go before the board of supervisors at its Aug. 5 meeting.

Tax Assessor/Collector Blake Pickering said all property owners are welcome to review their values, but suggests those who made changes — especially improvements — to their property should make a point to check the rolls before the end of the month. That also goes for taxpayers who purchased or inherited property in the past year, he said.

Tax bills will be mailed in November and December, but by then it’s usually too late to contest the appraised value, he said. That should be done at the August meeting of the board so the questioned appraisal can be investigated.

Smith said few new businesses opened in Lincoln County, but several improved existing businesses.

Zaxby’s, opened on Brookway Boulevard in February by partners Tyler O’Neal, Ben Goza, Lance Newman and Ryan Case, will be added to the 2020 land roll, he said.

“Maybe there was a small business here or there. Some upgrades downtown. That’s helping a good bit,” Smith said. “We’ve got a lot of money going downtown, which is a nice thing to see.”