Orange county to educate on proposed land transfer tax
By: Sarah Frier, Assistant City Editor
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: City
Orange County will spend no more than $100,000 to educate residents about a land transfer tax that will be on the May 6 ballot.
County commissioners voted to approve the transfer tax education program Tuesday mainly because they said residents were getting false information from real estate companies asking them to vote against it.
"We are not advocating a position, we are simply hoping that people become informed and then vote," Orange County Manager Laura Blackmon said.
Board Chairman Barry Jacobs said he had reservations about sending mixed messages with his vote.
"We don't have money, so we need money, so we spend money," he said.
But Jacobs said he thought it was important to publicize factual information about the tax.
Several residents spoke at the meeting and said they have been receiving phone calls and mailings urging them to oppose the tax.
The board's media consulting service said it hopes to make information accessible to all residents through broadcast and written news outlets, radio, Web sites and mailings.
The board also decided that proceeds from the tax will go to underfunded schools and park projects if it is approved in May.
But the transfer tax, which would tax real estate changing hands, was not favored by all attendees and still faces significant opposition.
Residents wearing red stickers which said "NO on transfer tax" left the meeting angry.
"It's too much tax already," said Lucian Mascarella, a Mebane resident who pointed out that Orange County pays some of the highest property taxes in North Carolina.
"You've got to realize that the difference between this program and the campaign those real estate people are heading is that that is private money and this is public money," he said.
If the land transfer tax passes, there is no guarantee that property taxes won't increase.
But Blackmon said it would relieve some of the pressure to raise property taxes by establishing a new county revenue source.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
County commissioners voted to approve the transfer tax education program Tuesday mainly because they said residents were getting false information from real estate companies asking them to vote against it.
"We are not advocating a position, we are simply hoping that people become informed and then vote," Orange County Manager Laura Blackmon said.
Board Chairman Barry Jacobs said he had reservations about sending mixed messages with his vote.
"We don't have money, so we need money, so we spend money," he said.
But Jacobs said he thought it was important to publicize factual information about the tax.
Several residents spoke at the meeting and said they have been receiving phone calls and mailings urging them to oppose the tax.
The board's media consulting service said it hopes to make information accessible to all residents through broadcast and written news outlets, radio, Web sites and mailings.
The board also decided that proceeds from the tax will go to underfunded schools and park projects if it is approved in May.
But the transfer tax, which would tax real estate changing hands, was not favored by all attendees and still faces significant opposition.
Residents wearing red stickers which said "NO on transfer tax" left the meeting angry.
"It's too much tax already," said Lucian Mascarella, a Mebane resident who pointed out that Orange County pays some of the highest property taxes in North Carolina.
"You've got to realize that the difference between this program and the campaign those real estate people are heading is that that is private money and this is public money," he said.
If the land transfer tax passes, there is no guarantee that property taxes won't increase.
But Blackmon said it would relieve some of the pressure to raise property taxes by establishing a new county revenue source.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
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