Mecklenburg, Union counties uncertain on boundary lines

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A border battle of sorts is brewing due to some confusion over exactly where the border between Mecklenburg County and Union County lies.

The intersection of Idlewild Road and Stevens Mill Road is in Union County.

However, just down the road and across Stevens Mill Road is a housing development called Shannamara Divide, which is full of homes with families whose children attend Union County schools.

Those families pay taxes in Union County. The question, though, is if it’s really in Union County?

The area in question is about 1,000 acres. This issue first came up back in 2001 when both counties took the situation to the state.

According to Wednesday night’s presentation to Mecklenburg County Commissioners, no one really knows what ever came of it.

Mecklenburg County’s tax assessor said his counterpart in Union County contacted him about it and they put together a study, which was presented to commissioners on Wednesday night.

He went through the next steps, which include research and the state surveying the area and issuing maps or plats.

Both counties would agree on the plats, which are then recorded.

The second option is if the counties don’t agree, after one year the state’s survey would become the official county line.

Officials would then have to notify property owners since that impacts things like taxes, where they vote, emergency services and schools.

“I’ve been here almost 10 years and never knew there was a county line dispute, that there was an issue there,” Ken Joyner, Mecklenburg County’s tax assessor, said during the meeting.

“OMG. This is 20 years of this line not being correct,” District 6 commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell said. “We could have lost so many thousands of dollars in property taxes. I mean it’s just shocking to me that this could go for so long. I mean doesn’t this seem hard to believe that it could be this way?”

The tax assessor said although it’s about 1,000 acres in question, the county would only lose a few of those and the value would be minimal.

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