tax increase

If money talks, then the state budget has a lot to say about education, health care, and public safety in North Carolina. These three areas take $21.9 billion of the…

Gov. Roy Cooper’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2018-19 [1] would spend $1.5 billion more than the current year, raise taxes, divert millions in other funds, increase dependence…

Forsyth County residents will be voting next week on a set of bond issues totaling $430 million. The largest one is $350 million for local schools, but there are two…

Officials from Haywood County have proposed an increase in the county’s occupancy tax by 50 percent, which would disadvantage Haywood compared to surrounding counties with lower rates. Taxation is justified only for necessary purposes of government. Tourism promotion is not such a function and can best be served by the private sector.

RALEIGH — Durham County voters have good reasons to question a pair of sales tax increases on the November ballot that would take another $26.5 million per year out of…

Durham County commissioners are asking voters to approve two sales-tax increases on November 8. The requested increases would amount to $26.5 million per year in new tax revenues. This request comes amid news that state unemployment has been above 9 percent since January 2009 and is currently 10.4 percent.

Orange County commissioners are asking voters for a $2.5 million sales-tax increase at a time of high unemployment. Twice before Orange County voters rejected tax increases. Just last November, rural county voters rejected a sales-tax increase by 2 to 1. The ballot offers nothing else for rural voters this time around, while urban voters also must pick candidates for city offices. Commissioners' hopes for a tax increase may hinge on low rural turnout.

RALEIGH — Orange County commissioners are courting special interests and “cynically manipulating” the voting process to win support for a $2.5 million sales tax hike. The John Locke Foundation makes…

Buncombe County commissioners seek voter approval of a sales-tax hike, promising that the $7 million that would be raised would be given to AB Tech for a new building and renovations,. The funds would go into the county’s general fund, however and could be spent on any legal purpose.

RALEIGH — Buncombe County commissioners and the local community college president are trying to “hoodwink” voters into endorsing a sales-tax hike with an offer that’s too good to be true.