At 99.8 cents per $100 of valuation, Orange County’s property tax rate is the second highest in the state. Year after year, commissioners have indulged their spending whims with little backlash from fiscal conservatives who are the minority in the county. Hikes in the tax rate have gone hand in hand with hikes in spending.

But this year, Orange residents have mounted a revolt against the recent revaluation of property, and the Orange commissioners have, for the first time, been called to account for their policies. While I applaud the activism, the outrage is misplaced. As JLF’s Charlotte blogger Jeff A. Taylor points out in a comment to this blog posting, the issue is the tax rate, not property values.

Last night, commissioners decided not to rescind the revaluation, as protesters had urged. With that question settled, what will commissioners do about the tax rate? Are they fearful enough of backlash to lower the rate? Let’s hope so, but until I see a lower rate confirmed in writing, I won’t believe it, no matter how much commissioners say they feel citizens’ pain. The revenue-neutral rate is 86 cents.