Carroll County homeowners began receiving notices last week from the county assessor’s office about increases in the appraised values of their homes.

Assessor Jeannie Davidson said the notices, which resulted from a recently completed countywide reappraisal, should not be interpreted as tax bills.

“It’s not a bill,” Davidson said. “It’s a notice of value increase. And if you didn’t have an increase, you wouldn’t have gotten a notice.”

A flurry of new home construction and increased demand have combined to raise home values in the county.

“Our appraisal company has put on $65 million worth of new construction this year,” Davidson said. “Now, a lot of it’s been gathered in the last five years but 65 million, that’s unheard of.”

Homeowners can see their appraised values rise dramatically, but that doesn’t mean a corresponding increase in taxes for many of them.

Anyone whose property taxes are “frozen” — those 65 and older and those considered disabled by the Social Security Administration — will see no change in their tax bill. Additionally, state law stipulates that taxes on owner-occupied properties may only increase by 5 percent per year until an assessment of 20 percent of the parcel’s appraised value has been reached.

Property owners with questions about the values listed for their properties can contact appraisers employed by Arkansas CAMA Technology Inc., the company that completed the reappraisal project for the county.

Homeowners also can appeal their appraisals to the Board of Equalization, which will hold its organizational meeting at 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1, in the county assessor’s office located in the Eastern District Courthouse in Berryville. Aug. 15 will be the final day for property owners to apply for a hearing before the equalization board, which is required by law to hold its final regular meeting no later than Sept. 30.