By Nicole Bowman-Layton

EDENTON — With only three council members present and no quorum to conduct official business, the Edenton Town Council met Tuesday, April 14, 2026, for a session centered on presentations about Historic Edenton State Historic Sites and Chowan County’s newly released property tax revaluation, along with public comment on a long-running Confederate monument debate and hearings on federal grant funding.

Mayor Pro Tem Elton Bond and council members Patrick Sellers and Craig Miller were in attendance, allowing presentations and public hearings to proceed, but preventing formal action on agenda items.

While debate over relocating a Confederate monument has continued locally for years, the newly issued 2026 property revaluation drew particular attention at this meeting as residents weigh what higher values could mean for future tax bills.

How to Check Your Property Value — and Appeal It

Property owners in Chowan County have until 5 p.m. May 11, 2026, to appeal their updated property values.
Tax Administrator Chris Hill encouraged residents to first review their property record card for accuracy, including:
* Heated square footage
* Bedroom and bathroom counts
* Property features and condition
Residents can compare their property to recent 2024–25 sales using the county’s GIS system.
To file an appeal, property owners should submit:
A completed appeal form
Supporting documentation such as photos, recent appraisals, or comparable sales
Appeals are reviewed by the tax office. If unresolved, cases may go before the Board of Equalization and Review, and ultimately the N.C. Property Tax Commission.
The tax office is located at the Public Safety Center, on West Freemason Street, next to the Sheriff’s Office, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Revaluation

During public comment, Edenton resident Steve Karl said his home had been appraised by the county at $620,000, while his own analysis of recent sales suggested a value closer to $450,000.

“My house is not worth $620,000; the neighborhood doesn’t support it,” Carl said.

He urged local officials to avoid increasing spending in response to higher valuations.

“If you were happy with last year’s budget amount, don’t get more money,” he urged council.

Later in the meeting, Chowan County Tax Administrator Chris Hill presented the results of the 2026 revaluation, explaining that overall property values across the county increased an estimated 38% to 42% compared with the last assessment in 2022.

Hill said 87.7% of properties saw an increase in value, while 12.3% decreased.

“The tax department does not create market value,” Hill said. “Rather, we analyze market sales to determine market patterns and trends.”

The revaluation is based on a Jan. 1, 2026 effective date, with data collection beginning in 2024 and notices mailed in March.

Hill pointed to a series of recent home sales to illustrate the increases, noting that lower-priced homes saw the sharpest jumps, often in the 60% to 80% range, due to demand for affordable housing.

“The biggest difference is in the lower-priced homes,” he said. “Those are few and far between.”

Hill also explained that while the county had been conducting revaluations every eight years, in 2022 the county Board of Commissioners voted to conduct them every four years.

The county’s median sales ratio — 99.04% — indicates assessed values closely match actual sale prices, Hill said.

He emphasized that property values and tax bills are not the same thing, noting that tax rates have not yet been set by local governments.

“Just because your property might go up 44% doesn’t mean your taxes are going to go up that much,” he said.

Hill also highlighted tax relief programs for elderly and disabled veterans, encouraging residents to contact his office for assistance.

Monument debate

A long-running dispute over the possible relocation of Edenton’s Confederate monument resurfaced during public comment.

Three speakers speaking on behalf of families of veterans, urged officials to abandon plans to move the statue to a location near the Chowan County Veterans Memorial. The plan is part of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Town of Edenton and Chowan County, approved in 2025.

Vicki Sherbs argued that placing a Confederate monument in a space honoring U.S. veterans was inappropriate.

“To put this statue … in a memorial garden for United States soldiers is akin to Germany putting up statues to Nazis in an American cemetery,” she said.

Valerie Batts said the proposal would be disrespectful to all veterans, including her son, who served in Iraq.

Alice Hines, a U.S. Army veteran, opposed the plan and called for an alternative location, noting that many Confederate monuments were erected decades after the Civil War.

Historic Edenton

Council also heard from Laura Rogers, site manager for the Historic Edenton State Historic Site, who highlighted a significant increase in visitation and programming over the past year. Rogers said the site welcomed roughly 41,000 visitors in 2025, up from about 29,000 the previous year, and conducted outreach to more than 500 people through community programs and events. The site hosted 20 events and 29 recurring monthly programs, supported in part by volunteers who contributed 773 hours of service.

Rogers credited the increase in attendance to expanded marketing efforts and stronger partnerships with local organizations, including Main Street Edenton and the Edenton Historical Commission. She said the goal is to make the site a more visible and accessible part of the community while offering a broader range of educational programming for residents and visitors alike.

The presentation also included updates on several ongoing projects, including continued restoration work at the Ziegler House, development of a new orientation film for visitors, and plans for a Harriet Jacobs-themed reflection garden. Rogers noted that a long-standing issue with the courthouse clock is being addressed with a new GPS-enabled mechanism designed to maintain accurate time.

Public Hearings on CDBG Funding

The council also held two public hearings related to Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding through the N.C. Department of Commerce.

The first hearing addressed a proposed amendment to the town’s existing 2021 grant, requesting an additional $13.6 million for infrastructure and economic development projects.

Project representatives said the large request was designed to capture available state funds. The amendment does not include new housing activities due to timing constraints tied to the original grant.

A second hearing initiated the process for a future housing-focused CDBG application under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.

Officials said no local match is currently required for either effort.

Town staff also noted that a previous CDBG project funded work on four homes — two reconstructions and two substantial rehabilitations — totaling roughly $800,000.

Residents asked how to apply for future housing assistance, and staff said programs would be publicly advertised, with a list of eligible properties already being compiled.

Other Business

A scheduled Fair Housing Month proclamation was tabled due to the lack of a quorum and will be considered at a future meeting.

During public comment, Wayne Caskey shared his views on national politics and the recent “No Kings” protest movement. He said he believed many participants in nationwide protests, including in Edenton, were being influenced by others whose intentions did not align with their own. He also questioned the lack of diversity he observed among demonstrators. His remarks ranged broadly across political and cultural themes and included references to 1970s and 1980s television shows such as All in the Family and Sanford and Son.