Last March, the Jackson County Commissioners agreed to postpone devaluing properties until January.

At that time county Manager Chuck Wooten said that while most people’s property tax values would likely decrease if the county proceeded with revaluation in 2012, tax rates would likely have to be raised to continue the county’s revenue-neutral tax system.

Well, it’s January, and citizen Marie Leatherwood gave the commissioners an earful in a recent public hearing. Thanks to the popped housing bubble, Jackson County only has 771 comparables for market analyses. In recent years, they have had over 6000. Leatherwood told how Macon County postponed its devaluations until 2015, following Tax Assessor Richard Lightner’s admonition that devaluing properties with insufficient comparables would lead to a multitude of lawsuits.