DSS General Questions

General Questions FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be not working to apply for assistance?

Most of the people we assist are working full time in a low wage job. In fact, almost 90% of the families we serve through Medicaid, NC Health Choice, child care assistance, and child support programs are young working families actively employed in Henderson County's service economy. Also, Child Support Enforcement services are available to anyone regardless of income.

Category: DSS Financial Aid

How can the number of people going to Social Services increase so much when Henderson County programs and unemployment is so low?

Today in Henderson County 44.5% of all children are on Medicaid and NC Health Choice, and 44.7% of all children have private health insurance. More and more young families in our county's labor force, particularly from the service sector, are coming to Social Services for health care assistance and child support. We expect these will be growing numbers with the rising cost of health care costs and private insurance becomes even more scarce.
Another factor in children's social work services such as Child Protective Services, is lack of other community resources for families, teachers, and other concerned people to turn to for help. The state's fiscal situation, stock market decline, and related economic situations have cut back resource development and availability for families.

Category: DSS General Questions

How do I find out who maintains a road in Henderson County?

Roads in Henderson County are maintained by either:

NCDOT (NC Department of Transportation)
Various municipalities (Hendersonville, Laurel Park, Mills River, and Fletcher)
Private groups

To determine who maintains a road:

On GoMaps, go to the area of interest.
Click the drop-down menu on the toolbar and switch it to "Streets and Highways".
Click on the road in question
If the road has a value greater than 0 in any of the SR_NUM, PRI_FED_RD_NUM, SEC_FED_RD_NUM, PRI_ST_RD_NUM, or SEC_ST_RD_NUM fields, then it is maintained by NCDOT.
If the numbers in these fields are all 0, then:
- If it's NOT within a municipality, then it is privately maintained.
- If it IS within a municipality, it MAY be maintained by that municipality.
  - If it is in Hendersonville City Limits, go to the City's map of City-maintained roads to determine if it's maintained by the City of Hendersonville.
  - If it is in Town of Laurel Park, go to Laurel Park's "Town Maps" page to see which roads they maintain.
  - If it is the Town of Mills River, Town Center Drive is the one road they maintain.

Category: gomaps

What is Joblink?

Joblink is located on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College and is a partnership of community agencies committed to providing quality job planning, education, training and job placement services for all residents in Henderson County. To learn more about Joblink please contact us at (828) 694-1755.

Category: DSS Employment Services

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Category: Stormwater

Where does my teenager go to get a work permit?

Work permits are issued by our receptionist in the Social Services lobby. Your child must be present to sign and bring proof of age along with the completed permit, signed by both employer and parent/guardian.

Category: DSS Employment Services

Where is King St Meeting Room

100 N King St down the hall

Who must file a listing, and what do I list?

Any individuals(s) or business(es) owning or possessing personal property used or connected with a business or other income producing purpose on January 1. Temporary absence of personal property from the place at which it is normally taxable shall not affect this requirement. For example, a lawn tractor used for personal use, to mow the lawn at your home is not listed. However, a lawn tractor used as part of a landscaping business in this county must be listed if the lawn tractor is normally in this county, even if it happens to be in another state or county on January 1.

NCGS 105-308 reads that ..."any person whose duty is to list any property who willfully fails or refuses to list the same within the time prescribed by law shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. The failure to list shall be prima facie evidence that the failure was willful." Pursuant to NCGS 14-3, a class 2 misdemeanor is punishable by imprisonment for up to six months.

Category: business personal property faq

How do I look up property on GoMaps?

Use the Quick Search window to look up a piece of property using an address, owner name, REID, or PIN.

Address: use ONLY the street name, but not the street type. For example: "1 BEARCAT" instead of "1 Bearcat Blvd"; or "200 N GROVE" instead of "200 N Grove St".
Owner Name: use LAST NAME, FIRST NAME. For example: "SMITH, JOHN" or "SMITH, J".
REID: The Real Estate ID, which is a number of 6 - 9 digits. Examples: 9948805, 1013416
PIN: The Property Identifcation Number, a 10-digit number corresponding to the property's geographic location. Examples: 9568971859, 9612258290

Category: gomaps

Does the Market Value change at the same rate on all Properties?

No, market value does not change at the same rate on all properties. There are differences among individual properties and between neighborhoods. Values can vary according to property type, condition, size, construction quality, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, location, amenities and topography as well as other factors. Market value is determined by buyers and sellers in the local real estate market. It is possible that sales in one area of the County may indicate a significant decrease in value in a given year, while in another area of the County, the sales may indicate a significant increase in the same year. It’s also possible for properties in the same neighborhood to show different value changes. Many factors are considered during the appraisal process.

Category: reappraisal

I have children, is training really necessary?

Whether you have children or not the law requires you must go through 30 hours of preparatory training before a person can be licensed as a foster parent in North Carolina. This training is called MAPP/GPS(Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting/Group Preparation and Selection). The purpose of MAPP/GPS is to inform potential parents about the needs of children who come into the foster care system, and to help them decide whether they can parent these children. The training will explain the importance of working in partnership with our social service agency, the court system and birth families to meet the needs of children who have be physically, mentally, sexually abused or neglected or abandoned.
The law does not specify the number of training hours to become an adoptive parent; however, Henderson County Department of Social Service encourages those who are considering adoptions to take the MAPP/GPS training, especially if you do not have a specific child in mind at the beginning of consideration.

Category: DSS Foster Care

What is taxable Real Property?

Real property includes land, structures and improvements on the land, including manufactured homes on a permanent foundation or other manufactured homes located on land owned by the owner of the mobile home. North Carolina law provides for a permanent listing system relative to real property, meaning that the taxpayer does not have to list real property every year. The taxpayer does have an obligation to list any improvements or changes to the real property during the listing period (January). Examples of changes that should be listed include the construction of an addition to a home or the installation of a swimming pool or outbuilding. Obtaining a building permit does not alleviate the taxpayer of this obligation to list changes to real property.

Category: reappraisal

How is Real Property Valued?

Values are placed on real property using either one or a combination of the following appraisal approaches:

Sales comparison or market approach. This approach compares the selling prices of similar properties and places a value on those properties based on actual selling prices. This approach is the most accurate when there are numerous arms-length sales occurring.
Cost approach. Values are determined on what it would cost to replace a similar property at current building costs minus depreciation based on a variety of factors and the age of the property. This approach is best used for unique properties or newer construction.
Income Approach. This approach is used primarily for income producing properties such as apartment buildings or business offices. Revenues are analyzed to determine a net operating income. This income is then capitalized to determine a value for the property.

Category: reappraisal

How long will the process take?

This is not a quick process. The training itself is usually laid out over 3 months and since Henderson County DSS only provides this training twice a year, you maybe looking at 6 to 9 months from your initial contact. Therefore we ask everyone to please be patient.

Category: DSS Foster Care

How will I be advised of my 2023 Appraisal?

A Notice of Assessed Value will be mailed to all Henderson County real property owners on file with the Henderson County Assessor's office in February 2023.

Category: reappraisal

What if I disagree with my value?

First, an “Informal Appeal form” must be completed and returned to the Assessor’s office. This form must be returned prior to the date the Board of Equalization & Review convenes which is usually during the month of April. Please include any documentation that supports your opinion of the value of your property. Acceptable documentation includes, but is not limited to; photographs, sales records, appraisals, comparable sales, etc. Your appeal will be thoroughly reviewed by an appraiser.
Adjustments to values may be made based on a re-analysis of appealed property. Once the owner is notified of the results, the owner may accept the value or appeal to the County’s Board of Equalization & Review. The Board of Equalization & Review is a board appointed by the County Commissioners and consists of Henderson County residents with a solid real estate or business background who are familiar with local real estate values.
Taxpayers may file an appeal with the Board of Equalization & Review by contacting the Assessor’s Office in person, by mail or by telephone call.
The Tax Department’s website contains tax appraisal values and property information for all parcels within the County. Use this tool to compare values or property characteristics within your neighborhood. Access this site by visiting www.hendersoncountync.gov and choosing “Government”, then “Tax Offices” then “Real Property Data Search”. Because tax values are based on market value, also review recent sales in your area as a comparison to the value of your property.

Category: reappraisal

What is the role of foster parents?

You and Henderson County Department of Social Services will enter into a “partnership agreement” describing the duties and responsibilities of each. The following is a general overview of our foster parent’s role:

Realize foster care is meant to only be temporary. When children first come into care “Reunification is always the first goal”. Therefore cooperation and being a team player is very important.
Protect and supervise children.
Help foster children to feel accepted and loved.
Allow the foster child to express his or her feelings about their past or present situation.
Help prepare the child for any future plans that are made.
Hold in strictest confidence any information about the foster child and their birth families.

Category: DSS Foster Care

Will Reappraisal affect my Property Tax Bill?

An increase or decrease in the appraised value of a property may not predict whether the property tax liability will increase, decrease or remain the same.

Only after the tax rates are set by the Henderson County Board of Commissioners and other taxing districts can property tax liability be determined.

New tax rates are normally set by June 30 of each year, which in the case of this reappraisal, will be June 30, 2023.

Category: reappraisal

Are there exemptions or special programs available?

Under specific circumstances, property owners may be eligible for reduced taxes or participation in other deferment or special programs. To participate in these programs, requirements specified by North Carolina law must be met. Available programs are listed below. For detailed information regarding these programs, please visit the Tax Department's website at www.hendersoncountync.gov/tax These programs include:

Elderly, Disabled, and Disabled Veteran Relief; and
Exempt Property.

North Carolina law exempts some peoperties from property taxes if certain requirements are met. Some types of exempt property are:

Property used for religious purposes;
Property set aside for burial;
Property used for educational, scientific or literary purposes; and
Property used for charitable purposes.

Applications for exemption are accepted by the Tax Department during January of each year.

Present-Use Value Program. The North Carolina General Assembly enacted the Present-Use Value Program allowing reduced tax assessments for individually owned property currently in use for agriculture, horticulture, or forestry. Property accepted into this program is taxed at its "present use" as a farm. The present-use value is usually less than the market value of the property. The difference between the present-use value and the market value is deferred. When the property or a portion of it is removed from the program for any reason, the deferred taxes for the current year and the previous three years, plus interest, becomes due. Applications for this program are accepted during January of each year.

For more information on any of these programs, please contact the Tax Department at 828-697-4870 or visit our website at www.hendersoncountync.gov /tax

Category: reappraisal

How do you let a child go?

You don’t!! You will always carry a thought or memory with you. Just think if a child can make that kind of impression, what impressions you can make on them. Think of the good you can do.

Category: DSS Foster Care

How are taxes determined?

It is the responsibility of the Assessor to value most taxable property within the County. The total value of all property within the County is the tax base. Each County agency or department submits an annual operating budget to the County Manager. The County Manager then submits a recommended total County budget to the County Commissioners for consideration. The Board of Commissioners carefully reviews the recommended budget and conducts a public hearing for citizen input. By the end of June, the Board of Commissioners adopts a budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The budget, less any additional revenues to be received by the County, is divided by the value of the tax base to determine a tax rate. The tax rate is based on amounts per each $100 in property value. A similar process is completed for each municipality and fire district within Henderson County.

Category: reappraisal

What does Revenue Neutral mean?

NCGS §159-11(e) provides that in each year in which a general reappraisal of real property has been conducted, the budget officer shall include in the budget, for comparison purposes, a statement of the revenue-neutral property tax rate.

The revenue-neutral property tax rate is the rate that is estimated to produce revenue for the next fiscal year equal to the revenue that would have been produced for the next fiscal year by the current tax rate if no reappraisal had occurred. Revenue neutral does not necessarily mean that taxpayers will be paying the same amount of property tax for FY2023 that was paid during FY2022.

To calculate the revenue-neutral tax rate, the budget officer shall first determine a rate that would produce revenues equal to those produced for the current fiscal year, and then increase the rate by a growth factor equal to the average annual percentage increase in the tax base due to improvements since the last general reappraisal. This growth factor represents the expected percentage increase in the value of the tax base due to improvements during the next fiscal year.

The budget officer shall further adjust the rate to account for any annexation, de-annexation, merger or similar event. The Assessor does not have the authority to establish the revenue neutral tax rate. Decisions regarding the establishment, computation and implementation of the revenue neutral tax rate are made at the Governing Board level.

Henderson County’s tax rate for FY2023 is .561 per $100 in value. For real property, this rate is based on the 2019 reappraisal values.

Category: reappraisal

When will I receive my property tax bill?

Property tax bills are mailed in August of each year and become due on September 1st. Typically, taxpayers have until the following January 5th to pay the bill without interest. January 5th is the deadline for paying property taxes before they become delinquent. If you are interested in a payment plan, contact our Collections Division at 828-697-5595.

Category: reappraisal

Will I receive any financial support?

Foster parents receive monthly financial assistance based on each child’s age and needs. These payments are intended to help cover some added cost for caring for a foster child. Foster children are also eligible for Medicaid benefits, which includes medical, dental, and mental health coverage. Henderson County Department of Social Services will also cover childcare services if both foster parents work or they see it as a benefit for the child. With approval, we also reimburse for things such as extra curricular activities, etc…

Category: DSS Foster Care

What if I buy or sell real property during the year?

The owner of the property as of January 1st of the current tax year is responsible for taxes for the entire year unless the property changes ownership during the tax year. If there is a change of ownership, the owner of record on the following January 6th (or the date interest begins), and any subsequent owner, will be held liable for any unpaid real property taxes. The Tax Department does not prorate real estate taxes. Proration is handled between the buyer and seller at the time of the sale. Tax liens against the property will remain in effect until paid in full. It is the responsibility of the new owner to pay any taxes due before January 6th.

Category: reappraisal

What about siblings?

Siblings are placed together whenever possible. However, sometimes it is in the best interest of the children to be separated based on their individual special needs. When appropriate, efforts are made by agencies to continue sibling visits after their adoptions.

Category: DSS Foster Care

Will I be able to adopt my foster child?

The majority of children are reunified with their birth families. If for some reason a child is not able to return home, then he or she may become available for adoption. Since the children have established a bond with their foster parents, the adoptions review team will give consideration to the foster parents if it is in the best interest of the child to remain with them.

For further information on adoption please contact our adoption social worker at (828) 694-6260.

Category: DSS Foster Care

Are their infants or very young children available for adoption?

There are very few infants and toddlers in foster care in need of an adoptive home. They are usually already placed in a licensed foster home when they become available for adoption, and most of our licensed foster home placements are prepared to adopt if any child becomes available. We highly recommend you consider the foster to adopt program if you are only interested in infants or younger children.

Category: DSS Foster Care

How do I start the process?

Contact the Henderson County Department of Social Services to learn more about becoming a foster parent, (828) 694-6252 to request an application packet or click here to email us.

Category: DSS Foster Care

Problems printing maps?

Make sure you have allowed pop-ups in your browser for the site. When you print a map from the 'Print' button at the top of the site, you may need to 'allow popups'. In some browsers, an 'information bar' comes up indicating that a pop-up has been blocked. In other browsers, a tiny icon in the right side of the address bar is what indicates that a pop-up has been blocked. Click on one of these prompts to allow pop-ups on the GoMaps site.

Category: gomaps

Do the search results include the contents of PDFs and other documents?

Yes. The website indexes web pages as well as PDFs, Microsoft Office documents, and text documents.

Category: Search Tips and Tricks

How do I apply for cost share assistance?

Please contact our office to discuss your potential project and possible funding options. To learn about these programs, visit the Division of Soil and Water Conservation website.

Category: Cost Share Programs

NICU to Home

Bringing home your baby from the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, can be both exciting and terrifying. If there's one thing you can be sure of after leaving the NICU, it's that you're going to be asking a lot of questions. You'll have questions for the doctors, nurses, and hospital staff before you're discharged and will undoubtedly have countless more once you arrive home.

We hope that these tools will help with some of those questions related to the new member of your family. Go to Organizing Information to find information to help you start organizing the piles of paperwork that you are sure to collect quickly.

Helpful Resources

Category: Preparing for Transitions

Can you come to my classroom to teach a lesson about soil or water? What is the fee?

We provide free science-based educational lessons to students in any academic setting. These lessons are tailored to teacher’s needs and are designed to help meet the NC Essential Standards. Contact the Henderson Soil and Water Conservation District Education Coordinator, April Hoyt, to schedule an appointment (828-697-4949).

Category: Cost Share Programs

Entering Preschool

Helpful Links

Helpful Documents

Category: Preparing for Transitions

If I search for a phrase (e.g. alarm permit), will the results only show exact matches?

No. By default, the search results will show matches for any word within the phrase. In this example, you would receive results for all web pages and documents that contained either the word alarm or the word permit or both.

In order to search on an exact phrase, enclose your search phrase in quotations. The search results for "alarm permit" will show matches for that exact phrase.

Category: Search Tips and Tricks

Why can't I find the REID / Parcel Number I'm looking for?

Leading zero's have been removed from REID's (Parcel Numbers). You'll need to remove them from your search. For example, instead of searching for 0123779, you would need to search for 123779. If this still doesn't work, the REID may have been retired, and you should try searching by owner name or street address instead.

Category: gomaps

Can I exclude a word from a search (e.g. all pages that have the word "alarm" but not the word "permit"?

Yes. You can exclude words by using the minus sign (-). In order to find the results of all pages that have alarm in the result but not permit, you would search for alarm -permit.

Category: Search Tips and Tricks

Entering Kindergarten

When your child nears the age that your school district sets as the starting point for kindergarten - most likely, five years old - it's time again to think in terms of transition. For most children with special needs, this will mean a transition from a preschool program to a kindergarten program. It may also involve a transition from a partial day to a full day, from one school to another, or from one type of educational plan to another.

This transition can be as big as deciding that your child no longer requires special education services and is ready to move on to a mainstream class without classification. Or it can be as small as deciding that your child isn't quite ready for the big time yet and will benefit from another year in the familiar setting of preschool.

Helpful Documents

Category: Preparing for Transitions

My streambank is eroding, can you help?

We can provide technical assistance to provide possible solutions to your problem. Additionally, you may be eligible for one of our cost share programs. Please contact our office to learn more (828-697-4949).

Category: Cost Share Programs

Entering Middle School

Making the transition from elementary to middle school is often difficult for children. This transition is even more difficult for a child with a disability. Middle school is a time when a child becomes an adolescent and he/she faces new challenges, academically and socially. We hope that the tools below will help you and your child prepare for this transition process.

Useful Tools

Category: Preparing for Transitions

How do I use the Oblique Aerial View tool to see oblique aerial imagery?

Click here for detailed instructions.

Category: gomaps

What kind of soil is on my property?

The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides Web Soil Survey, a tool that can assist you in finding your soil type for your property or project. Visit this website to use the Web Soil Survey.

Category: Soils

Entering High School and Beyond

The transition out of high school is a major milestone in your child's life as well as your own. Transitioning to adulthood involves new experiences and decisions. Issues like health insurance, finding a doctor who takes care of adults, choosing a work or school setting, transportation, and housing present new and sometimes overwhelming challenges. Use the information below to help prepare for this time in your child's life.

Helpful Resources

Videos

Transition to Adulthood: Special Needs
Transition to Adulthood: Our Special Needs Children (Recorded Webinar)
Transitioning to Adulthood as an Individual with Special Needs: Legal Concerns

Category: Preparing for Transitions

How do I search by plat on the Register of Deeds site?

Go to http://henderson.courtcompsys.com/hendersonnc/ and 'Click here' to acknowledge the disclaimer.

Click 'View Images' to search by a deed or plat number.

Choose Book Type: 'Plat' and 'Images as PDF'.

Under 'Book', enter the YEAR of the plat (This can be looked up here), and under 'Page', enter the slide number; then click 'Go'. See image below for an example.

Category: gomaps

Will you test my soil?

We provide soil sample boxes, submission forms, and instructions, but the samples must be mailed by the landowner to the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Agronomic Services Division Soil Testing Lab in Raleigh. Your results will be emailed and/or mailed directly to you in about two weeks. From December 1 to April 1, there is a $4.00 fee per soil sample box. From April 2 to November 30, there is no fee for soil samples.

Category: Soils

How often is the data on GoMaps updated?

The data presented on GoMaps and other Henderson County GIS websites is not "live" data, but consists of map data that is updated on a regular basis. Parcel, Street, and Address data are usually updated daily, and other map layers are updated as changes become available.

Please see the metadata for further clarification of accuracy and currency of the map data on this website.

Category: gomaps

My neighbors are doing construction, but they are not using silt fences and it is washing onto my property. Can you do anything?

Please contact Deb Johnston, Director/Engineer, in the Henderson County Site Development Department 828-694-6553 or visit the Henderson County Department of Water Resources website.

Category: Soils

Do you have any information about preventing erosion?

Please visit the Erosion and Sediment Control website through the Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources Division of the NC Department of Environmental Quality and/or the Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Local Program website.

Category: Soils

Can I pay my water bill, have my water turned on, or report a maintenance issue with your office?

We are not affiliated with any water department. You will need to contact your water provider. The phone number for the Customer Service Division of Hendersonville Water & Sewer is (828) 697-3052.

Category: Water

The water coming out of my faucet is brown, can you fix it?

Please contact either your water provider or a private plumbing service. The phone number for the Customer Service Division of Hendersonville Water & Sewer is (828) 697-3052.

Category: Water

When were the aerial photos on GoMaps taken?

2022 Orthophoto Dates:

Starting 12/26/2021 and ending 2/12/2022.

2018 Orthophoto Dates:

Starting on February 28, 2018 and ending on March 1st, 2018.

2015 Orthophoto Dates:

Starting on March 6th, 2015 and ending on April 1st, 2015.

2010 Orthophoto Dates:

2007 Orthophoto Dates:

Starting on March 13th, 2007 and ending on April 6th, 2007.

2001 Orthophoto Dates:

Starting on February 1st, 2001 and ending on March 31st, 2001.

Category: gomaps

Will you test my drinking or well water?

We do not collect or analyze water samples. Contact the Henderson County Division of Environmental Health in the Department of Public Health (828-692-4228) or contact a private water testing lab. A list of labs that test specific contaminants can be found at the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Resources Division website.

To learn more about wells in Henderson County, view the article "Testing Wells in Henderson County."

Category: Water

What can you tell me about my watershed?

For general information, use the map provided by the NC Department of Environmental Quality. Click on your stream or river to learn about your watershed. Then, use this link to learn more about the water classification.

Category: Water

Which property deeds and plats are currently available?

Ownership deeds are available online for transactions occurring after 1979. You can also look up and research deeds at the Register of Deeds site. For more information please contact the Henderson County Register of Deeds at 828-697-4901.

Category: gomaps

Who do I talk to about illegal dumping into creeks and streams?

Soil and Water Conservation Districts do not have regulatory authority. Contact the NC Department of Environmental Quality's Asheville field office at (828) 296-4500.

Category: Water

Can you fix the culvert at my driveway?

No, but we can suggest others that may be able to help. You can call the NC Department of Transportation at 1-877-368-4968 or submit an online request for assistance at their website, call Henderson County Emergency Management at 828-697-4728, or call a private contractor.