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2:52 a.m. • 2-11-12

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Some Orange County residents angry over revaluations


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Residents fighting against higher property valuations in Orange County packed the Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday night.

Sybil Skakle, 83, was among those concerned that taxes could go up because property valuations are higher. She said she has lived in the same Orange County house for more than 50 years.

"I think of it as a home. It is a safe haven where I can live,” Skakle said.

However, she says with increasing revaluations on her home, she may not be able to afford to stay there.

"The tax bill just keeps going up,” she told the commissioners.

Recent reassessments place the values of some homes nearly 25 percent higher than four years ago. That could mean higher tax bills for some families.

“People like me can't afford to live in this county,” said Ned Rigsby, from Carrboro.

The state requires counties to revalue land at least every eight years.

County Tax Assessor John Smith said re-valuations are normally offset by adjustments in the tax rate so the county remains revenue neutral.

"The county will receive the same amount of income this year as last year," Smith said.

Because the tough economy has hurt other county income sources, higher valuations could offer commissioners a way to make up the difference if the 2008 tax rate were applied to more highly valued properties. Taxes are set as an amount for each hundred dollars of property value.

People not happy over their valuations can appeal, and about 1,900 have done so.

A group of residents formed the group "Tax Revolt" to continue fighting the revaluations. They plan to meet Monday in the gymnasium of Orange High School.

RELATED TOPICS: Carrboro, Orange County

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Iworkforaliving wrote: If they were selling their homes they would have no problem with the higher value. Since they are not selling they are worried about the higher taxes. You can't have it both ways.

Oh, but yes you can. Property taxes are unfair and unreasonable on so many levels. For one, it taxes people for building a nice home. Live in a dump, pay less taxes. Buy a nice home, pay more. Just because one buys a nice home does not mean they have a high recurring income. Shouldn't anybody be able to work and save to buy a nice home? Oh, but you can't afford the tax-- so give up.

Further, the taxes are unreasonable. There is simply no excuse for charging a tax on a person's home and, if they fail to pay, throw them into the street. What kind of society is this?

That revenue neutral language is a joke. The County Budget gets bigger every year, especially following a reeval. And there is always taxes to cover the bigger budget. The main source of income for the county is - Property Tax and Money from the State General Fund. If the property tax is revenue neutral and the state is not giving the counties any more money, how do the bigger budgets always balance? Do government employees think we are stupid? (Yes). No tax increase is revenue neutral if the revenue always goes up!

The people of Orange county have spoken. They have elected socialist county commissioners for the last 30 years. What rock have you been hiding under? It's a little late to protest property values/taxes now! This county is a runaway tax and spend train. Don't worry though, this bunch of county left wing kooks will be a welcome sight after future state and fed budgets confiscate the remainder of your income!

((County Tax Assessor John Smith said re-valuations are normally offset by adjustments in the tax rate so the county remains revenue neutral))

I don't get it. Then why raise the tax in the first place? Just leave it the way it is OR, reduce it and help out hurting people. Collections are falling because people have less to spend and jobs are going away. How do you justify raising a tax at a time when they have less? These guys need to stop the word games and get out.

If they were selling their homes they would have no problem with the higher value. Since they are not selling they are worried about the higher taxes. You can't have it both ways.

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