property tax increases

[Zach Stout]

Dear Orange County Commissioners,

My property tax bill increased from $8,961 in 2024 to $11,753 in 2025 — nearly a 31% jump in one year.

I recognize that revaluations occur, but an increase of this size places an unsustainable burden on homeowners. The County should reduce spending before turning to major tax hikes.

I plan to be more engaged in local elections going forward to ensure these decisions are scrutinized and those responsible are held accountable.

Sincerely,
Zach

[Jamezetta Bedford]

Zach,

The BOCC decreased the tax rate to revenue neutral overall. The average residential value increased 52%. Many increased at much higher rates. So knowing these increases due to recent sales would cause many homeowners to pay higher taxes, even at the much lower rate, the BOCC increased the tax rate by 1.19 cents only. We are worried about those who cannot afford the higher taxes, particularly those on fixed incomes or disability. Wages have not kept up.  If you reside in one of the towns, they increased tax rates from 5.6 to 9.72 cents and that advocacy would be those town boards. At the same time sales tax revenues have been lower (Helene impacts for one reason) while inflation continued. The BOCC only increased wages by 2% for county employees. Personnel are a major cost driver. I looked at reducing library hours for example, but the tax impact was tiny. We have reduced training budgets but some depts like EMS and DSS training are essential. We welcome the public’s involvement and please plan to attend the budget public hearings next spring. The 2026 meeting calendar is in the works and will be posted later this year. We do not want long time residents to be forced out. Please go to the county web site and select Housing then look for the long time homeowners assistance program to see if you qualify for assistance with your county portion of your taxes. This has higher limits than the state assistance programs. Thank you for sharing your concerns. 

Sincerely,

Jamezetta Bedford, Chair

---

From: Zach Stout <zas...@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:58 PM
To: ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Cc: Laura Jensen <lje...@orangecountync.gov>; Tax <T...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: property tax increases

 

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.