Campaign Begins For Sales Tax Hike in Orange County

Last week, Orange County commissioners made it clear they want to put the quarter-cent sales tax hike on the November ballot. This would be the second attempt, following voter rejection of the tax hike just four months ago.

The commission and county manager have also started their predictable boo-hooing about how little public money the county has to spend. And of course, all the wonderful programs and services they want to provide just might require a property tax rate hike — of course they really, really, really don’t want to do that — but all their good work just might require it in the end. The reality, as we know, is that the county has hiked the property tax rate 20 out of the last 21 years.

And now, in what I’m sure is just one of those funny little coincidences, the county manager writes a guest column for the Herald-Sun in which he repeatedly refers to the need for more sales tax revenue. In other words, folks, Orange County’s campaign to “educate” the public on the sales tax hike has begun.

Keep in mind this quest for more of the public’s money occurs as Orange County spends $45,000 on a breastfeeding consultant — just one of the many services Orange commissioners view as critical to county residents.

Then, yesterday I received the following e-mail announcement from the county (emphasis is mine)

HILLSBOROUGH, NC –The Orange County Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 during its regularly scheduled meeting at the Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.

The Public Hearing will provide an opportunity for the public to comment on a potential November 8, 2011 referendum on a one-quarter cent (1/4¢) additional sales tax in Orange County.

During the 2007 legislative session, the North Carolina General Assembly granted county boards of commissioners the authority to levy, subject to voter approval, an additional one-quarter cent county sales and use tax.

It is projected the one-quarter cent county sales and use tax would generate approximately $2,500,000 for Orange County on an annual basis. If the voters approved the referendum on November 8, 2011 implementation would not start until April 1, 2012 generating approximately $625,000 for the remainder of FY 2011-12.