The John Locke Foundation has completed the latest version of “By the Numbers.” The classic annual report ranks counties and cities according to tax burdens. Asheville has maintained third place in the per capita tax rate category. Only Charlotte and Chapel Hill ranked higher. The city came in second in per capita sales tax revenues and in a less conspicuous twelfth-place for per capita property taxes levied.
Overall, Buncombe County scored highest among Western North Carolina counties, ranking 22nd in tax burden. Haywood and Henderson Counties were not too far behind. The other WNC counties run the gamut, with Yancey coming in dead last, which on the surface is good.
In past years, representatives from the City of Asheville have quarreled with the JLF about the misleading simplicity of the numbers. It has been argued that Asheville is a regional hub providing services for many users who do not pay taxes. The city has also maintained that it provides a high level of service per dollar collected. Exchanges last year were extensive, with the JLF showing its numbers had merit nonetheless. We shall see how the arguments develop this time around.
