Why you’ll pay more taxes on homes, cars, boats across Mecklenburg communities in 2 weeks
If you own property in Mecklenburg County, your taxes are going up in about two weeks. But how much more you’ll pay depends on which city or town you live in.
County commissioners approved a 1-cent increase in property taxes as part of their budget for the new fiscal year that starts July 1. County Manager Dena Diorio initially proposed a 1.5 cent increase, but commissioners decided to tap into the county’s “rainy day fund” to cut the increase over her objections.
Two Mecklenburg municipalities — Charlotte and Huntersville — also increased their tax rates.
Other towns in the county kept property tax rates at their current levels this budget cycle.
What do you pay property taxes on?
Property taxes apply to items that include:
Land and buildings
“Business personal property,” which includes office equipment, machinery and computer equipment
Vehicles registered with the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles
“Individual personal property,” which includes boats, unregistered vehicles and campers
People who don’t own a house or business still pay property taxes if they own cars, boats or other taxed items, and the cost of higher taxes on landlords may be passed on to renters.
Tax bills are calculated by dividing property values by $100 and multiplying that by the tax rates in the county and city or town.
For example, the owner of a $400,000 house in Charlotte starting July 1 could pay $3,028.80 in property taxes under the new rates — $1,096.40 to the city of Charlotte and $1,932.40 to Mecklenburg County.
Mecklenburg County property taxes
Mecklenburg County’s 1-cent tax increase will raise the county’s property tax rate to 48.31 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. That comes out to about a $38 increase per year for the median home in the county.
The first cent of the initially proposed 1.5-cent increase will pay for debt associated with the $2.5 billion school bond measure voters approved last year. Diorio told commissioners the additional half-cent was needed to help make up a revenue shortfall of $20.3 million.
Commissioners voted to enact only the 1-cent increase scheduled under the school bond and spend an additional $14.7 million from the county’s fund balance to address the shortfall.
Diorio recommended against that strategy, saying it would only create the need for another property tax increase in the future and is “not a responsible way to budget.”
Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell, who proposed the idea, said delaying the half-cent increase to 2026, when there isn’t already a scheduled increase, would help homeowners manage the cost.
Charlotte, Huntersville property taxes
Huntersville passed the biggest tax increase in the county this year. Efforts to shrink Charlotte’s increase sparked public outcry and tension among city leaders.
The Charlotte City Council approved a budget with a 1.37-cent property tax increase Monday to pay for arts and culture grants, public safety and capital investments. That brought the city’s rate up to 27.41 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
The city estimates the increase will cost the median household an additional $4.09 per month, which is based on a home value of $358,600. It’s officially the city’s first rate increase in six years, but many property owners still paid more last year due to revaluation.
Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones initially proposed a 1.5-cent increase, but the majority of council members voted to trim it. The $65 million in cuts included sidewalks, transportation in uptown and two initiatives focused on mobility and underserved communities. After community opposition, the council decided to instead cut funding for street paving.
The town of Huntersville posted the largest rate increase in Mecklenburg this budget cycle: a 5.15-cent jump, putting the town’s property tax rate at 22.75 cents per $100 of assessed value. The tax increase will pay for the community’s new town hall, $58 million in bonds for transportation and parks and new positions in the town’s police and fire departments, the town said.
Huntersville estimates the increase will cost a property owner whose home is valued at $460,000 “less than $20 a month.” The average home value in Huntersville is $541,431, according to the real estate website Zillow.
Who didn’t increase property taxes in Mecklenburg County?
Other Mecklenburg towns didn’t increase their property tax rates, including:
Cornelius, which will maintain a rate of 17.31 cents per $100 of assessed valuation
Davidson, which will maintain a rate of 26.6 cents per $100
Matthews, which will maintain a rate of 26.65 cents per $100
Pineville, which will maintain a rate of 28.5 cents per $100
Mint Hill leaders aren’t scheduled to vote on the town’s budget until Thursday, but the proposed budget doesn’t include a property tax increase. If approved, the plan would keep the town’s rate at 22.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for fiscal year 2025.
