Cabarrus Commissioners May Seek 1/4-Cent Sales Tax Hike

Cabarrus County commissioners may ask residents to approve a 1/4-cent hike in the sales tax. The Independent Tribune has the story here. Such a hike would raise $3 million, Karen Cimino Wilson reports. Commissioners haven't come to a decision on having a referendum, but agreed to continue the discussion. Deputy County Manager Pam Dubois says expenses will increase by about $15 million over the next three years, but not much additional revenue is expected to be generated. The cost of paying off debt for new schools is one of the big additional expenses. DuBois says property tax revaluations are not expected to increase revenue because home values have fallen so much. She says a property tax rate increase is needed just to remain revenue neutral. You can read the story here.