Anyone caught by surprise when residential reassessment notices arrived in the mailbox last week has not been paying attention. Land values are soaring in Beaufort County -- particularly on the waterfront -- and that has been obvious for years. It also is a good thing for individuals and the community as a whole.

Still, there is a great deal of sticker shock involved when assessments come out so rarely. In an instant, the value of the property for taxing purposes has gone from an assessment performed in 1997 to one done in 2002. The result is stunning. The average increase countywide is 73 percent, but some waterfront property has increased in value by 200 percent to 300 percent since 1997.

People can haggle with the county over the valuations, and more power to them. The county has been very forthcoming in the process and in trying to answer all questions. (Go to http://www.bcgov.net/ and follow the "Reassessment Information" links or call toll-free (866) 470-2850; or see recent large ads in The Island Packet.) Despite the sticker shock, our guess is that anyone who has had a private-sector appraisal recently would find the county assessment much lower.

But beyond the appeals process, which is routine, several more important things need to be kept in mind:

Put pressure on elected leaders to reduce the tax rate. Assessments are to reflect fair market value, and that end of the taxation equation should remain equal across the board. Values are rising, which must reflect a lot of good decisions being made by both the private and public sector. That shouldn't change. What must change is the tax rate.

Safeguards are built into the law to keep local governments from reaping a windfall when property is reassessed. The public must make sure that happens. If property value went up 300 percent, that better not mean county taxes go up 300 percent. The tax rate must be adjusted.

Continue the public discussion on better ways to handle property tax. Study annual assessments as opposed to assessments every five years, or assessment changes only when the property sells, or safety valves for people who have lived in a property for a long time and whose property is not nearly as valuable as new homes in the neighborhood. Also on the table is a proposed cap to limit assessment increases for taxing purposes to 20 percent over five years. None of it is simple, and there are constitutional questions involved in some cases.

But it all deserves an in-depth look.

The bottom line is this: Property tax to run local government is no longer chump change. At these prices, there is no more government on the cheap. County, town and school district leaders must have their feet held to the fire to deliver services efficiently. Recent internal audits of county government departments -- with more audits on the way -- indicate that government service can be delivered better.

Lower the tax rate and increase government efficiency. That is the message coming from the reassessment notices.