Charlotte should shrink next year’s proposed property tax hike, City Council votes
The Charlotte City Council on Monday directed staff to explore shrinking the size of the city’s first proposed property tax increase in six years.
City Manager Marcus Jones’ $4.2 billion proposal for fiscal year 2025, which starts July 1, calls for a 1.5-cent property tax increase to fund public safety needs, the arts, housing and transportation. That would cost the “typical homeowner” about $1 more a week, Jones said. Mecklenburg County’s proposed budget also includes a 1.5-cent property tax increase.
Jones warned last year a tax hike was likely in the city’s future. When he presented his budget earlier this month, he said the time had come in order to keep up with the city’s needs and growth.
But eight of 11 council members voted at their budget adjustment meeting Monday to direct city staff to try and find ways to shrink the size of the tax increase.
Council member Tariq Bokhari, who made the recommendation, said a smaller property tax increase could create momentum in the state legislature for the city’s stalled sales tax increase. Charlotte has long hoped to get a sales tax increase referendum on the ballot to pay for transportation needs, but that requires legislative approval, and the city has so far failed to gain traction in Raleigh.
“We’re going to significantly hurt ourselves in our ability to make the case that Charlotte is all in on the sales tax,” Bokhari said of the newly proposed property tax hike.
The District 6 Republican said he’s got a list of cuts he plans to bring to city staff and hopes the rest of the council will also work closely with staff in the coming days.
“There’s multiple ways to skin the cat,” he said. “... Everyone needs to work with staff.”
The council will hold straw votes on the budget May 30 and is scheduled to give final approval to the budget June 10.
Police equipment purchases suggested after Galway Drive shooting
Bokhari also recommended the council fund the purchase of new equipment for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police in the wake of the shooting that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded multiple others April 29.
He said the proposals are based on conversations with CMPD officers wounded in the Galway Drive shooting, including $150,000 to put active shooter kits in all CMPD vehicles and $597,500 for new bulletproof vests and ballistic shields.
Council member Dimple Ajmera also proposed the city continue to pay its part of the health insurance premiums for spouses and dependents of city employees killed in the line of duty, an estimated cost of $30,000.
Council members voted in favor of sending all of those recommendations to city staff for further evaluation.
Other proposed changes to city budget
Council members also directed city staff to review other additions or changes to the proposed budget, including:
Increasing funding for bicycle infrastructure from $8 million to $10 million over the next two-year bond cycle.
Contributing $1 million to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Mecklenburg County project to build housing for teachers.
Giving $100,000 to the Charlotte Museum of History. Council members voted down a pitch to consider adding the museum to the list of cultural organizations that get annual funding from the city.
Doubling funding for litter clean-up from $250,000 to $500,000.
Funding for multiple nonprofit organizations, including the Home Again Foundation, Save our Children’s Movement, Carolina Youth Coalition, Block Love Charlotte and Hearts for the Invisible.
Council members didn’t back continuing a discussion of raising the minimum wage for all city employees to $25 an hour.
