Second home tax is a great idea for chapel hill and Orange County

[Bennett Dansby]

Hi,

My parents are on a fixed income and have a single primary residence in chapel hill. They have lived there for over thirty years and plan on living out their time there, but they can barely keep up with maintenance much less the ballooning tax bills. 

The number of highly wealthy retirees and professionals moving to the county is affecting the burden of our resources while reducing the number of families who can afford to reside here. When an area grows by a factor of three in 15 years without foresight and planning, then you have the logistical mess we are in now: Schools are suffering. Budgets are impacted. Impermeable surfaces are increasing flooding and temperatures. Developments are multiplying and density is happening. Yet these impacts are affordable only for those who think $550,000 is a reasonable price for a home.

A sliding scale for property taxes would make a lot of sense to alleviate the burden to retain teachers, service workers and sustain economically diverse families. Seems like orange county should also consider a second home tax.

Best,

Bennett Dansby

906 Roosevelt Dr.

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

[Amy Fowler]

Dear Bennett Dansby,

Thank you for sharing your concerns with the county and town regarding taxes and home affordability. 

A few years back, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) began an assistance program for long time homeowners who have low incomes to help mitigate property tax expenses.Recently, Chapel Hill also started contributing to this program to help with  the town portion of taxes. Here is the link that details qualifications and how to apply: https://www.orangecountync.gov/2944/Longtime-Homeowners-Assistance-Program-L

I hope this is helpful information.

Thanks again for sharing your concerns and suggestion. 

Sincerely,

Amy Fowler MD MPH

Orange County BOCC Vice Chair

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From: Bennett Dansby <btda...@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, 20 July 2026 08:42:42
To: mayoran...@chapelhillnc.gov <mayoran...@chapelhillnc.gov>; ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: Second home tax is a great idea for chapel hill and Orange County

 

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[Bennett Dansby]

Thanks for information. Well that tracks. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised since even our school year is dictated by vacation home lobbies, lol! 

Best,

Taylor

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 20, 2026, at 9:44 AM, Amy Fowler <afo...@orangecountync.gov> wrote:



[Jess Anderson]

Dear Bennett,
Thank you for reaching out and for sharing your suggestion. I appreciate you taking the time to advocate for policies that would help longtime residents and those on fixed incomes remain in our community.
Under North Carolina law, towns and counties do not have the authority to implement a sliding-scale property tax or different tax rates for primary and secondary residences - which is why the county (with town assistance) established the property tax assistance program to help people stay in their homes.
While those taxation decisions are governed by state law, I understand the concerns you've raised about housing affordability and the pressures facing longtime homeowners.
The Town has been working hard to address our community's housing needs while also adopting a five-year budget strategy focused on long-term financial sustainability, maintaining the high-quality services our residents expect, and recognizing the importance of keeping property taxes in check. In one of the fastest-growing regions in the state, balancing these priorities is no small task. You can find more on our town website<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.chapelhillaffordablehousing.org/tracking-our-progress__;!!BRblJqMRC2tk!SGn7YBh00B9UT_R0jx0ycbVOIL9J_3w7d9A9oodt3YOcgMTnSDe6VwS6UXKgxZX8Vp7-W2NrzUJS1LjsIlnquW1b7GRYr80D3dA$ > about our housing goals and the progress we have made.
Thank you again for sharing your perspective and for your engagement in our community.
Sincerely,
Mayor Jess


[cid:b83383b0-18a6-4c51-a55d-4e495fa66dd2]

Mayor Jess Anderson
Mayor’s Office
Town of Chapel Hill<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.townofchapelhill.org/__;!!BRblJqMRC2tk!SGn7YBh00B9UT_R0jx0ycbVOIL9J_3w7d9A9oodt3YOcgMTnSDe6VwS6UXKgxZX8Vp7-W2NrzUJS1LjsIlnquW1b7GRYvi2L_kc$ >
405 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-5705
Phone: (919) 968-2714



________________________________
From: Amy Fowler <afo...@orangecountync.gov>
Sent: Monday, July 20, 2026 9:44 AM
To: Bennett Dansby <btda...@gmail.com>; Town Council <mayoran...@chapelhillnc.gov>; ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: Re: Second home tax is a great idea for chapel hill and Orange County

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Dear Bennett Dansby,
Thank you for sharing your concerns with the county and town regarding taxes and home affordability.

A few years back, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) began an assistance program for long time homeowners who have low incomes to help mitigate property tax expenses.Recently, Chapel Hill also started contributing to this program to help with the town portion of taxes. Here is the link that details qualifications and how to apply: https://www.orangecountync.gov/2944/Longtime-Homeowners-Assistance-Program-L <https://www.orangecountync.gov/2944/Longtime-Homeowners-Assistance-Program-L >

I hope this is helpful information.

Thanks again for sharing your concerns and suggestion.

Sincerely,
Amy Fowler MD MPH
Orange County BOCC Vice Chair

Get Outlook for iOS<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://aka.ms/o0ukef__;!!BRblJqMRC2tk!SGn7YBh00B9UT_R0jx0ycbVOIL9J_3w7d9A9oodt3YOcgMTnSDe6VwS6UXKgxZX8Vp7-W2NrzUJS1LjsIlnquW1b7GRYloVx2F0$ >

________________________________
From: Bennett Dansby <btda...@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, 20 July 2026 08:42:42
To: mayoran...@chapelhillnc.gov <mayoran...@chapelhillnc.gov>; ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: Second home tax is a great idea for chapel hill and Orange County


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Hi,

My parents are on a fixed income and have a single primary residence in chapel hill. They have lived there for over thirty years and plan on living out their time there, but they can barely keep up with maintenance much less the ballooning tax bills.

The number of highly wealthy retirees and professionals moving to the county is affecting the burden of our resources while reducing the number of families who can afford to reside here. When an area grows by a factor of three in 15 years without foresight and planning, then you have the logistical mess we are in now: Schools are suffering. Budgets are impacted. Impermeable surfaces are increasing flooding and temperatures. Developments are multiplying and density is happening. Yet these impacts are affordable only for those who think $550,000 is a reasonable price for a home.

A sliding scale for property taxes would make a lot of sense to alleviate the burden to retain teachers, service workers and sustain economically diverse families. Seems like orange county should also consider a second home tax.

[20hometax-editorial-wzhc-videoSixteenByNine3000-v2.jpg]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/opinion/second-home-tax-nyc-fairness.html__;!!BRblJqMRC2tk!VeUsyLdwg8kgUEDukte8lWLZEHkSEmy7mKWC8ZKK7kbn3rweeXPtzc6x2vzLEpOOZFEdBHPOPBAEE_-SA2fvqQl7$>
Opinion | The Second Home Tax Is a Win for New York<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/opinion/second-home-tax-nyc-fairness.html__;!!BRblJqMRC2tk!VeUsyLdwg8kgUEDukte8lWLZEHkSEmy7mKWC8ZKK7kbn3rweeXPtzc6x2vzLEpOOZFEdBHPOPBAEE_-SA2fvqQl7$>
nytimes.com<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/opinion/second-home-tax-nyc-fairness.html__;!!BRblJqMRC2tk!VeUsyLdwg8kgUEDukte8lWLZEHkSEmy7mKWC8ZKK7kbn3rweeXPtzc6x2vzLEpOOZFEdBHPOPBAEE_-SA2fvqQl7$>