Do the Carrboro City Council and the OC Board of Commissioners Communicate?

[Jon Ross]

Hello,

I just saw on WRAL that at the state level there is going to be a bipartisan effort to address the outrageous increases in property taxes, such as the one that was recently forced upon me by the County and the City. Good, it is about time someone got the message that your decisions are making my life worse.

Again, I am a senior living on a modest retirement income from the state (I served the children of NC for 26 years as a school psychologist at WCPSS in lieu of a way more lucrative private practice because I wanted to contribute to the community) and social security.

After reflecting on this process, including the joke home reevaluation process  of the value of my home (that saved me pennies), I would like to know if the Carrboro City Council and the OC Board of Commissioners communicate with each other to assess what the overall impact of their respective raises would be on taxpayers? Do you all talk to each other, or do you make your decisions in isolation? 

If you are offended by the tone of my email, understand that I am way more offended by the burden that you have placed upon me as a senior who would like to stay in his home after a lifetime of working myself to exhaustion for Wake County Schools. Again, all of you are on the left side of the political spectrum, I was raised by powerfully liberal parents and it is beyond belief to me that I have come to a point in my life, that I decided to dump the Democrats and become Independent. If a non-insane Republican runs for office, granted an unlikely event, I will vote for them instead.

I sure hope someone responds to me,

Jon Ross, Carrboro

[Jean Hamilton]

Dear Mr. Ross,

 

On behalf of the BOCC, thank you for sharing the impact of the property tax burden you are facing. We know that the increased property taxes from the revaluation and county and town budgets result in many residents, especially those on fixed incomes, having to make hard decisions to pay their taxes.  The BOCC established the Tax Assessment Work Group to review how property assessments are done to improve the fairness and transparency of our assessment processes.

 

The BOCC approved increased funding of the Longtime Homeowners Assistance Program (LHAP) to provide some tax help to eligible homeowners. The towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill contribute to the LHAP as well. As for the relationship between the towns and the county during budget season, each local government follows its own process for determining tax rates. In this challenging economic and fiscal climate, Commissioners are aware that the BOCC needs to continue to consider tax burdens during our budget deliberations this Spring.

 

Sincerely,

Jean

 

Jean Hamilton, Chair

Orange County Board of County Commissioners

---

From: Jon Ross <jrosssch...@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2025 5:11 AM
To: cou...@carrboronc.gov <cou...@carrboronc.gov>; ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: Do the Carrboro City Council and the OC Board of Commissioners Communicate?

 

CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless verified. Report suspicious emails with the Phish Alert Button located on your Outlook menu bar on the Home tab.

[Jon Ross]

Thank you Ms. Hamilton for responding.  I am pretty sure the Carrboro City Council is tired of hearing of me and their lack of response speaks loud to me. It is really awful that the political process offers to me no one that represents my interests.  Whatever happened to the center of this country?

Jon Ross

--

Jon Ross, Ed.D.
School Psychologist

[Barbara Foushee]

Good morning, Mr. Ross, and thank you, Chair Hamilton, for the response.
Mr. Ross, I understand and empathize with your ongoing concerns regarding this important matter. The Town of Carrboro and Orange County communicate periodically on a variety of issues, and we are aware of decisions related to property taxes. The Town of Carrboro determines property tax rates as part of the annual budget process, following the presentation of the Town Manager’s recommended budget.
We do not take this process lightly. The Council engages in thorough discussion of the town budget and actively seeks ways to lessen the financial burden on the community, particularly as it relates to property taxes. We are always available to respond to resident concerns, and please let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Have a nice day, and happy holidays.


Barbara M. Foushee (She/Her)

Mayor

Town of Carrboro | https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.Carrboronc.gov__;!!BRblJqMRC2tk!RoSvMOGfxxtIjsmNLMqHcLL8SlFjwVyE3bVpF1EvaziXtyUANvlkUgM5Qv0RBULC0dlEii75d-LnTtVcY3oDEsrsfmq4ddIs$ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.carrboronc.gov/__;!!BRblJqMRC2tk!RoSvMOGfxxtIjsmNLMqHcLL8SlFjwVyE3bVpF1EvaziXtyUANvlkUgM5Qv0RBULC0dlEii75d-LnTtVcY3oDEsrsftlBnbGI$ >

P: 919-918-7331

Get Carrboro News & Updates

https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.carrboronc.gov/SIGNUP__;!!BRblJqMRC2tk!RoSvMOGfxxtIjsmNLMqHcLL8SlFjwVyE3bVpF1EvaziXtyUANvlkUgM5Qv0RBULC0dlEii75d-LnTtVcY3oDEsrsfqX_M2N4$ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.carrboronc.gov/SIGNUP__;!!BRblJqMRC2tk!RoSvMOGfxxtIjsmNLMqHcLL8SlFjwVyE3bVpF1EvaziXtyUANvlkUgM5Qv0RBULC0dlEii75d-LnTtVcY3oDEsrsfqX_M2N4$ > 

________________________________
From: Jon Ross <jrosssch...@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2025 5:11 AM

To: council <cou...@carrboronc.gov>; ocb...@orangecountync.gov <ocb...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: Do the Carrboro City Council and the OC Board of Commissioners Communicate?

Town of Carrboro, NC Website - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.carrboronc.gov__;!!BRblJqMRC2tk!RoSvMOGfxxtIjsmNLMqHcLL8SlFjwVyE3bVpF1EvaziXtyUANvlkUgM5Qv0RBULC0dlEii75d-LnTtVcY3oDEsrsfmtYmYBP$

E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

[Carrboro Facing Race, Embracing Equity]