NATCHEZ — A specially called meeting, set for Aug. 10, of the Adams County Board of Supervisors will be the last opportunity for county residents and business owners to contest the recently completed tax assessments.

Mandates from the Mississippi State Tax Commission required Adams County Tax Assessor Reynolds Atkins to reassess 2008’s property values at a higher dollar value than the previous assessment in 2004.

And that reassessment caused property values to rise more than 20 percent, Atkins said.

For three weeks, beginning July 8, Atkins’ office heard from county residents who believed their new assessments were incorrect. More then 200 property owners contested their assessments.

“Once we could sit down and they could see where the increase came from, they understood,” Atkins said. “They didn’t like it, but they could understand it.”

Atkins said in some cases, if a mistake was made in the assessment, he was able to change the assessment.

And those taxpayers still unhappy with their assessments will have one last chance to make their cases.

Supervisor Darryl Grennell said residents and business owners not pleased with their assessments are welcome to attend the meeting to argue their cases before the supervisors.

While Atkins said he does not expect more than half a dozen residents to protest, at least three county businesses will be at the meeting to contest their assessments, Grennell said.

In recent months Stine Lumber co-owner Dennis Stine has said he’ll be at the meeting to contest his company’s assessment.

Supervisor Thomas “Boo” Campbell, the board’s most senior member, said in 20 years on the board he’s only seen one or two people contest their assessments before the supervisors.

Atkins recommends that any residents, or business owners, that wish to contest their taxes bring an independent property appraisal no more than three years old.

The board does have the power to make a final say on the assessment during the meeting.