Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Property value assessments have been mailed out to Craighead County residents, with many reporting higher assessments than initially expected.

Craighead County Assessor Hannah Towell told JRN her office sent out approximately 44,000 notices over the week. By law, property tax is calculated using the property’s market value, she said.

“That’s what’s driving the high values,” Towell explained. “With 2026 being the reappraisal year, we look at the previous two years’ worth of sales, so ’24 and ’25. Occasionally, we have to go back to maybe a third year for commercial properties.”

She continued: “We go through and try to pull out all the bad sales and then we use that data set to develop market values for all the property in Craighead, and sales have been pretty high still over the past two years, so that is what has affected our property tax values for 2026.”

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Of the thousands of notices sent out, Towell said there were several pockets of high property sales in Brookland, Lake City and Monette.

“Craighead County is growing, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a really good thing for everybody, but it does mean that our property values will increase as well,” Towell said.

For those who believe their assessment was made in error, Towell said there are several resources for residents. The first is to contact the assessor’s office, which can be reached at 870-933-4570 and then select Option 3.

For more in-depth questions regarding property valuations, the appraisal team should be contacted at 870-934-1153.

If a property valuation agreement cannot be reached, Towell said the next step in the chain would be to contact the Equalization Board, which can be reached at 870-933-4520. An appointment will be scheduled to review the matter, and all appointments must be set by Aug. 17.

For those meeting certain qualifications, there are caps, credits, and ways to freeze the taxable value of one’s home through Amendment 79 to the Arkansas Constitution.

The Homestead Tax Credit, which is part of Amendment 79, allows for a credit of $600 per year, increased in 2026 from the previous credit of $500 per year.

The credit applies to any “homestead”, which is defined as somewhere that is used as a principal place of residence. The homeowner is whoever is the recorded owner of the property, a buyer under a recorded sales contract, or a person holding a recorded life estate in the property.

Only one Homestead Tax Credit can be claimed per year by each property owner. Those who believe they are eligible for this credit should apply through the Craighead County Assessor.

Amendment 79 also places a cap on homestead property, limiting an increase to only 5% per year until the property reaches full assessed value.

Additionally, as part of Amendment 79, homeowners over the age of 65 can freeze the value of their homestead for additional property tax relief.

Towell explained that those eligible for this additional relief will need to bring their driver’s license reflecting their address to the assessor’s office, and the home’s taxable value will be frozen. This also applies to anyone who is 100% disabled through the Social Security Administration, but they must provide proof from this administration.

“We will freeze the taxable value for that year,” she said. “Market value will still fluctuate. We need to have market value on the books.”

There are a few caveats to this, she said. If any major improvements are made, then the value of the improvements must be added to the home.

However, anything significant removed, such as a fence, pool, deck, etc., will not result in a decrease.

“The homeowner gets the benefit of that decrease. Amendment 79 does not lock them in at a higher value. It’s either the value that it was when they turn 65 or a lower value, if the value does decrease after that,” Towell said.

The other caveat, she said, is if there is a millage change, because while this does affect tax dollars collected, it does not affect a home’s taxable value.

Towell stressed that if homeowners have any questions or need anything clarified, they should not hesitate to contact her office.

“If something looks off, please tell us; we want to fix it,” she said. “We want it to be as right as it can be.”

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