Matt
Just for clarification and to extoll the virtues of the achievement in Charlotte, the county actually performs the revaluations (required by law every 8 years), the city is thus removed from the process but uses the values given them by the county. Mecklenburg had one in ’03-’04 so holding the tax rate was truly “holding the tax rate”.
Having said that, many cities were able to hold their tax rates steady this year as a result of having raised the rates last year. Remember, cities hold elections in “off years” so who wants to raise taxes this year in the city when they have to run for re-election?
Counties (whose elections are next year) are having far more success in passing increases. In Buncombe County they are planning on holding the tax rate steady this year (per the manager’s office) and the revaluation is set for next year.
The proposal you suggest about indexing increases to inflation and/or population growth is actually the basis for a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) which the General Assembly has ignored each year in NC since 1994.
