This Just In: it takes a village to pay for a village.
If you have paid the slightest amount of attention to the cost of housing in our community since the turn of the century, you certainly know that along with the well documented affluence of Orange County comes the problem of affordability. This has been an election issue for decades. I hope I’m not spoiling the plot to disclose … it’s not getting much better.
The way that we pay for our local needs (schools, policing, human services, elections, courts and more) is we tax people on their real property. That’s houses and cars, mainly.
With rare exception, cars start losing value the minute you drive off the dealer’s lot. Real estate, both developed and not yet developed, can be expected to gain value with the passing of time and in a place like Orange County the value of an acre or two is growing by the day.
Let me mention just a couple of things about why I am supremely grateful for every last person who works in the Orange County government offices, which have been taking a lot of abuse in last two weeks as valuation letters have gone out to residents.
Here’s my first reason (the others matter far less):
My husband’s life has been saved several times in the last six years thanks to the prompt action of first responders and expert care of paramedics who were dispatched to my home when he was in great distress from the sudden onset of life-threatening illnesses. Without exaggeration, if they were late, he wouldn’t be here. If you’ve never been on the phone with a 911 dispatcher describing a loved one on the floor and slipping away in front of you, bless your heart. I have (more than once) and those people who showed up and helped interrupt that process have my gratitude forever.
Other reasons:
Our county enjoys a strong reputation for running elections well. That particular great thing about living here makes all the other things possible.
We also have remarkably high percentages of taxes properly collected in this community. I don’t take that for granted. Taxes are levied, complied with and paid and the tax office works out payment plans for people having financial difficulty.
All of these services are paid for by tax dollars. Some of that comes from outside the county, but mostly it’s us — taking care of ourselves and our neighbors.
The folks in the tax office and the county commissioners themselves have not made decisions to value my house at the number we saw on our notice this week. The housing market made that decision. Frankly, I thought our number would be higher, but I ain’t complaining.
Bearing in mind that the valuation is just that – the value of your property. That tax rate is a whole different thing. Seeing your value go up 50% doesn’t mean that your tax bill will spike the same amount.
If you DO think your home is valued incorrectly, the time to speak up is right now. Go to one of the county’s informational meetings and find out about informally appealing the value of your home set by the county. You don’t need a lawyer to informally appeal.
March 27th 6:30 p.m. – Gaines Chapel AME Church, 4024 US70, Efland April 9th 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Seymour Center, 2551 Homestead Rd., Chapel Hill April 10th 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Passmore Center, 103 Meadowlands Dr., Hillsborough April 15th 7:00 p.m. – Schley Grange Hall, 3416 Schley Rd., Hillsborough April 16th 6:00 p.m. – Chapel Hill Town Council, Council Chamber, 405 MLK Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill April 26th 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Lee’s Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, 3604 Lee’s Chapel Rd., Cedar GroveFor more information, visit the county’s website.
Jean Bolduc is a freelance writer and the host of the Weekend Watercooler on 97.9 The Hill. She is the author of “African Americans of Durham & Orange Counties: An Oral History” (History Press, 2016) and has served on Orange County’s Human Relations Commission, The Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina, the Orange County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and the Orange County Schools’ Equity Task Force. She was a featured columnist and reporter for the Chapel Hill Herald and the News & Observer.
Readers can reach Jean via email – jean@penandinc.com and via Twitter @JeanBolduc
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