Dare County Newsletter - January 2025

As we step into 2025, Dare County extends warm wishes to all of our residents, property owners and visitors for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year! The start of a new year is always a special time—a chance to reflect on the achievements of the past year and set our sights on the opportunities ahead. Whether you’ve lived in Dare County for decades or recently joined our one-of-a-kind community, we are grateful for the role each of you plays in making our county such a wonderful place to call home.

In 2025, Dare County remains committed to providing high-quality essential services and supporting important initiatives that enhance quality of life for everyone who lives and works in our community. From new projects and programs to ongoing efforts that strengthen our public safety, infrastructure and local economy, we are excited about what this new year holds. Together, we can continue to build a thriving, welcoming and resilient community that we’re all proud to be part of. From all of us at Dare County, Happy New Year!

New Year’s Holiday Closures

All Dare County offices and facilities will be closed on Wednesday, January 1, 2025 in observance of New Year's Day. Offices and facilities will reopen and resume their regular operating hours on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Office and Facilities Closures

All Dare County offices and facilities will be closed on Monday, January 20, 2025 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Offices and facilities will reopen and operate under their regularly scheduled hours on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. 

Holiday Trash Collection Schedules Changes

There are no trash collection schedule changes for the week of New Year’s (December 30, 2024 through Friday, January 3, 2025); however, Dare County Public Works has announced a revised trash collection schedule for the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is observed on Monday, January 20, 2025. For more information, please visit DareNC.gov/PublicWorks or click the button below. 

Do you know someone who has given a substantial amount of their time and talent to assist others within the Dare County community by serving as an outstanding volunteer? Dare County encourages you to nominate them for North Carolina’s prestigious 2025 Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards, which honor individuals and groups from the public, private sector and nonprofit sector who have made a significant contribution to their community through volunteer service. 

Volunteers can be nominated for their service in several different categories, including veteran/military, youth, seniors, animals, education, environmental, disaster, health and human services, etc. Nominations will be submitted to the county award coordinator, who will then present the nominations to a committee that will review the nominees and select the top 10 volunteers for Dare County.  

Nominations can be submitted online at DareNC.gov/GovernorsAward, where you’ll also find tip for writing an effective award nomination. Nominations for the 2025 Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, January 31, 2025. For more information, please click the button below or contact Shannon Glaser at 252-475-5753 or Shannon.Glaser@DareNC.gov.

The Dare County Tax Department reminds property owners that the countywide revaluation of all real estate—including residential and commercial improved properties, as well as vacant land—will become effective on January 1, 2025. Required by North Carolina law to be performed at least once every eight years, revaluation is the process of updating property values to reflect their current market value, which is the price a property would likely sell for in an open and competitive market. 

Revaluation is essential to maintaining equity in property values, as these can shift unevenly due to market trends, economic factors or development. Completing the revaluation process ensures that property assessments are aligned with changing market conditions and ensures that each property owner contributes their fair share toward funding essential community services, such as law enforcement, emergency medical services, education and public health, based on the property’s current market value. Dare County is currently on a five-year revaluation schedule, with the last revaluation having been implemented in 2020.

Property owners are advised to be on the lookout for revaluation notices, which will be mailed in mid to late February 2025. These notices will include the new appraised value of each property. Should you disagree with the new assessed value of your property, you will have 30 days from the notice date to submit an informal appeal. Instructions for submitting an appeal will be included with the notices and also available online at DareNC.gov/Revaluation, where property owners can find an array of additional resources, including a comparable sales search tool and the answers to an assortment of frequently asked questions.  

For further details, please contact the Dare County Tax Department at 252-475-5940 or DareReval@DareNC.gov.

The Dare County Tax Department has announced that the forms for listing personal and business personal property must be completed and returned to the Dare County Tax Department office by Friday, January 31, 2025. By North Carolina law, individuals and businesses in Dare County are required to list their personal property for taxation during the month of January each year.

Examples of Personal Property:

• Aircrafts
• Boats
• Boat motors
• Golf carts
• Jet skis
• Mobile homes
• Non-tagged motor vehicles
• Multi-year and permanent plate tagged vehicles (i.e. boat and horse trailers)
• Rental home furnishings

Examples of Business Personal Property:

• Machinery and equipment
• Furniture and fixtures
• Computer/office business equipment
• Leasehold improvements
• Supplies
• Leased equipment
• Farm equipment
• Charter boats and fishing equipment

Property tax listing forms will be mailed to all taxpayers who previously owned and listed personal property as of January 1, 2024. The front of the tax listing form must be completed and either mailed or delivered to the Dare County Tax Department (962 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo, NC 27954) by Friday, January 31, 2025, to avoid penalty. The back of the form includes instructions and notices. If you need to list personal property and do not receive a listing form in the mail by Monday, January 6, 2025, please call the Dare County Tax Department at 252-475-5965 or 252-475-5958 to request one. You may also request one by sending an email to Listings@DareNC.gov. 

A penalty will be charged to anyone who does not list their required personal property with the Dare County Tax Department before the January 31, 2025 deadline. Extensions can be requested and may be granted until April 15, 2025, if requested in writing on or before January 31, 2025. For additional information, please visit DareNC.gov/Listings or click the button below.

Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, which is celebrated annually on January 9, is a day dedicated to recognizing local law enforcement officers and expressing our gratitude for their service, sacrifice and ongoing commitment to protecting the communities they serve. 

This Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, we’d like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated men and women (and K9 units!) of the Dare County Sheriff's Office—as well as all of the other law enforcement agencies serving the Outer Banks community! 

Your unwavering commitment to protecting and serving our residents and visitors does not go unnoticed, and we are incredibly grateful for your professionalism and courage, as well as the many sacrifices you and your loved ones make every single day as you work tirelessly to ensure public safety. Thank you for all you do to keep Dare County safe!

The Dare County Library is pleased to announce that the Dare County Extension Master Gardeners Winter Speakers Bureau Series resumes this month. Each of the free programs within the 2025 Winter Speakers Bureau Series will be held beginning at 11 a.m. on select Wednesdays in January, February and March. Programs will be offered both in person at the Kill Devil Hills Library (400 Mustian Street) as well as virtually via Zoom. Presentations will last approximately one hour, and participants can choose to attend one or all of the programs that are of interest to them. 

The 2025 Winter Speakers Bureau Series includes many brand-new programs that have never been offered before, as well as some of the most popular topics from years past. There is no charge to attend the programs; however, registration is required whether participants plan to attend in person or virtually. For more information, or to register to attend a specific program, please click the program link(s) in the list that follows.

January 15, 2025: "Plants that Survive & Thrive on the Outer Banks 2025"

January 29, 2025: "House Plants - Gardening in the Great Indoors (New)"

February 12, 2025: "No Mow Lawns (New)"

March 5, 2025: "Drought Tolerant Plants"

March 12, 2025: "Traditional vs. Organic Vegetable Gardening (New)"

March 26, 2025: ”Gardening with Deer (Updated)"

Please note that online registration closes one hour prior to the event. Once registration has closed, you may call the Kill Devil Hills Library at 252-441-4331 to register up until the event begins, if space is still available. 

Dare County, in partnership with Current TV, has released a new video detailing the proper procedures for Christmas tree disposal throughout the unincorporated areas of Dare County, as well as the towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head and Manteo.

To view the video on CurrentTV’s YouTube channel, please visit YouTube.com/CurrentTVOBX or click the button below.

Meet Hazel—our Outer Banks SPCA Pet of the Week!

To meet our Pet of the Week, stop by the Dare County Animal Shelter, which is located at 378 Airport Road in Manteo, and click here to watch a Pet of the Week video produced by Current TV.

For more information, please visit OBXSPCA.org or contact the Outer Banks SPCA at 252-475-5620.

Outer Banks SPCA Adoption Hours:

Monday to Friday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for naptime)
Saturday & Sunday: By appointment only