A community meeting was held at the Oak Level Ruritan Building on Tuesday, May 20, where Henry County officials provided updates to residents and answered questions.
Henry County Board of Supervisors member Pam Cobler, of the Reed Creek District, served as the meeting’s facilitator. Over a dozen people attended the event.
Henry County Administrator Dale Wagoner said the number one priority of the Board of Supervisors that guides much of the county’s work is economic development.
“Our goal is to create economic opportunity for our residents. Not to create the jobs, but to create the opportunities for our residents to be successful and increase their wealth and well-being,” he said.
Wagoner said the county supports this through lower taxes compared to neighboring localities and by helping develop the Commonwealth Business Centre along the Virginia–North Carolina line, which offers space for manufacturing businesses.
The first tenant was Press Glass, which currently employs about 300 people and is in the process of doubling its facility. The second is Crown Holdings, which manufactures approximately 8 million aluminum cans daily and employs about 160 people.
Wagoner said Lot #2 at the Centre is designated as a platinum-ready site—currently the only one in the country.
“Since we got that designation a couple months ago, it’s really put us on the map for large industries that are looking to relocate and build a new manufacturing facility. So, we hope that generates real results for our community,” he said.
The county is also in discussions with a potential tenant for Lot #4, which could represent a $65 million investment.
“Then we recently signed an option on 1,200 acres over there for a future tenant, perhaps if the property will work out for them. We’ve got a lot of economic activity in our community right now,” he said.
Tax Reassessment and Appeals
Commissioner of Revenue Tiffany Hairston discussed the upcoming real estate reassessment. Notices are scheduled to go out on Jan. 1, 2026.
“That’s when you’ll get your notice of your new value. When you get your notice, we have 15 days before we can start doing appeals, so we’ll do appeals from the middle of January to the end of February,” she said.
The Board of Supervisors will hold hearings in April, with the finalized reassessments going into effect on July 1.
“You do have an appeal process just like with personal property. This one is a little shorter though. When you come in, you have three steps: you can appeal to my office, to the Board of Equalization, or to the Circuit Court,” she said.
Hairston emphasized that residents cannot go backward in the appeal process.
“You can go through each step, but if you skip a step, you can’t go back down, so that’s important to remember,” she said.
Appeals begin with a statement, followed by the resident’s case.
“There’s not any particular documentation that you need—just whatever you think will work in your favor. We’ll consider it, and we won’t give you a decision that day because we like to discuss it with everyone, but then we’ll mail you our final determination,” she said.
Hairston noted that values may increase, decrease, or stay the same, based on the appeal.
Legislative Update
Del. Eric Phillips, R-Martinsville, said the House of Delegates reviewed more than 2,200 bills in 45 days.
On power bills, Phillips said legislation was passed allowing Appalachian Power to securitize some assets in West Virginia.
“Which means they can basically pay down their debt. They can take that interest money and give it back to you and me on our bills. We also made it where they can’t raise rates going into the winter season—they have to freeze their rate and not raise it when you’re going to be paying the most all year,” he said.
He said other bills passed and taking effect July 1 will help lower electric bills.
Phillips attributed rising utility costs to the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which requires the decommissioning of coal-fired power plants.
“I know all of you love solar as much as I do, and wind, and all these other technologies, but when you take the most efficient, cheapest way to make power and say you can’t use it anymore, well, your power bills are going to go up,” he said.
Repealing that legislation is a top priority for Phillips.
He also emphasized protecting local authority over land-use decisions. In the last two General Assembly sessions, he said, there were bills that would have allowed state authorities to override county decisions on solar farms.
“They can override the Board of Supervisors—a three-judge panel in Richmond that’s never been to our community—and do it anyway. Luckily, we’ve been able to defeat that two years in a row, and we’ll see it again this coming year. It’s a big deal for communities like ours,” he said.
Phillips also discussed the 220 Blue Ridge Innovation Corridor, volunteer fire department funding, and school safety.
Additional Updates and Local Concerns
Commissioner of Revenue Tiffany Hairston, Public Safety Director Matt Tatum, Sheriff Wayne Davis, School Board Chairman Teddy Martin (Reed Creek District), and Brad Cline of SMT/Smart Machines also gave updates.
One resident expressed concern over increased tractor-trailer traffic on Oak Level Road.
Wagoner said a manufacturer in the North Bassett–Philpott area recently changed its distribution operations.
“They shifted some of their distribution to the Philpott area, and as a result, more trucks are coming up Philpott Drive and Oak Level Road to go north. It’s been a shift in their operations, which is why there are more trucks on your road now,” he said.
Wagoner said he’s relayed concerns to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), which will assess the area.
“Building and widening roads is expensive and not easy. It’s outside the limits of local government—we don’t manage roads in Henry County. But we’ve taken your concerns to VDOT,” he said.
The county has also spoken with the manufacturer about possibly returning to the previous route, noting that Oak Level Road is narrow in several spots.
When asked if the Commissioner of Revenue’s office would mail notification forms for residents who’ve sold vehicles, Hairston said it won’t happen this year due to cost.
“We sent out over 44,000 bills. It cost a lot of money, and people didn’t send the forms back,” she said.
She said in 2023, her predecessor Linda Love reported receiving fewer than 1,000 returned forms. “I don’t like to waste money, but I don’t know what the solutions are,” she said.
Hairston encouraged residents to notify the Commissioner of Revenue’s office if they sell a vehicle and ensure it is removed from their DMV record.
“You want to make sure you get a bill of sale. Because you can always bring a bill of sale to me and I can change it that way—but I can’t change it just because you tell me you sold a car. I have to have something,” she said.
