Is Property Tax in Chapel Hill Rising?
By Caitlin Clinard

Taxes on Chapel Hill property could be going up. A few cents per every $100 of value might not seem like much but it can add up quickly.

In Chapel Hill, both the town and Orange County tax property. The town’s not recommending a tax increase. But the county wants to raise the rate by at least six cents for every $100 your home value. Property owner Angie Owens thinks raising the taxes will affect the town’s diversity.

“I think that raising the property taxes just impacts the people that live here and that want to live here that come from all different income levels,” Owens said.

The breakdown of property tax: Right now, property tax is $1.55 for each $100 of your house value. The proposal would raise the tax by about six cents to $1.61. Average home owners would see their annual tax bill increase by $210. But the hikes would be much bigger in the heart of Chapel Hill.

A house worth $1.4 million dollars costs $22,000 a year in property tax. That means an increase of about $1,000 by next year. County Manager John Link said he thinks property taxes will continue to rise.

“Financing the budget each year will become more and more difficult each year because we do not have many tools other than the property tax by which to generate revenue,” Link said.

The President of Carolina Reality of Chapel Hill, Cowan Griffin, owns multiple properties. He said he understood why Chapel Hill’s property tax is so high.

“We’re special so if you want to live here and have a pretty unique town, you have to pay a little higher property tax,” Griffin said.

Link said he’s got one more message: he’s just trying to make ends meet.