I live in Cherokee County in WNC. We pay the highest property taxes in WNC. Much of this is due to incompetence such as the settlement of a lawsuit by county health officials:
Cherokee County settles DSS lawsuits for $48.5 million
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved a $48.5 million settlement that resolves more than 20 remaining lawsuits against the county stemming from past practices by the Department of Social Services.
The county’s insurer, the North Carolina Liability and Property Pool, will pay $24.25 million while the county will be responsible for the remaining $24.25 million. The North Carolina Liability and Property Pool also agreed to dismiss its lawsuit against Cherokee County as part of the agreement.
Cherokee County will pay $4 million of the settlement by Feb. 15, 2023. The county will then pay about $2.9 million per year for seven years, beginning in July 2024 and ending in 2031. The payments will not accrue any interest.
Commissioners in recent weeks worked to lower a looming millage rate increase to three cents ahead of the approval of the 2022-23 budget ordinance Wednesday. County Manager Randy Wiggins said the approval of the settlement will result in an additional eight cents added on — or 11 cents total — that sets the new millage rate at 61 cents per $100 of value.
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The county voted to raise our county sales tax from 6.75% to 7% in 2016 in order to upgrade and maintain the local school system. That never happened as money was wasted on studies and engineering fees for a school that was abandoned. At least the charade was finally disclosed:
In May 2024, the current Board of Commissioners voted to redirect the Article 46 revenue (roughly $1.2 million per year) away from Cherokee County Schools and toward general county government operations, effective for the 2024-25 fiscal year. This helped the county avoid or reduce property tax increases and cover other expenses (such as personnel costs).
Schools had been receiving and relying on these funds for infrastructure, athletic trainers, school resource officers, and other needs since the tax took effect.
There are more instances of misspent money in this county that I will not cover here. The bottom line is that property taxes are out of control and local boards are nothing more than petty tyrants with no oversight. This is not a rant about Cherokee County: all county property taxes across the nation are out of control.
This is just another form of tyranny and the transfer of wealth from property owner to the state.
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