Henderson County is just one of many NC counties that will let its voters decide tomorrow if they want a land transfer tax. The proposed tax has been criticized because, once the state legislature gave local government the option of a land transfer tax of up to 0.04% or a 0.25 cent sales tax, many local governments decided they needed the tax before they came up with a reason why. In a newsletter this week, the City of Hendersonville published FAQ about the tax. The second question is, “Why does the board of commissioners say it is needed?†The commissioners say the moneys are needed for schools and parks. It is trite to say the only way to get people to vote for a tax hike is to say it’s for children or education. Citizens after all voted for the Education Lottery to pay for schools, and it just isn’t making funds available.
According to the FAQ, this is a fair tax because it charges those responsible for the growth and demand for new schools; i.e., those leaving town. It is a form of taxation just before you have no representation.
