Twenty-two North Carolina counties are asking voters next month to approve local tax increases. Some are seeking sales tax hikes. Others want to triple the land-transfer tax. JLF analysts led by Research Director Michael Sanera are taking a closer look at the counties’ finances, and they’re attracting media attention for their work. Fiscal Policy Analyst Joseph Coletti spoke with the Rocky Mount Telegram about proposed tax hikes in Nash and Edgecombe counties. The Sanford Herald highlighted JLF research into Lee County’s tax proposal. Speaking of taxes, a Charlotte Observer story on the Republican governor’s race noted JLF “By the Numbers” data that show Charlotte taxpayers carry the state’s largest per capita local tax burden.