So it was Guilford County Manager David McNeill’s idea to ask the General Assembly for permission to raise the county’s sales tax. The N&R doesn’t think it’s a good one:
The sales tax, however, is both a traditional and a regressive revenue source. Poor people spend a larger portion of their incomes on sales taxes than do their wealthier neighbors. The sales tax rate already is too high. Property taxes aren’t fair to everyone, either, but they do claim a greater share from businesses and individuals with greater resources. One drawback in Guilford County has been the slow pace of growth in the property tax base, which can only be fixed through economic development.
Although the two commissioners quoted in last week’s article downplayed the odds of the sales tax increase getting the go-ahead from the state, it nevertheless will be interesting to see just how many commissioners vote for the proposal.
