Don’t eat the candy!

Voters beware! At the end of your ballot, you’re asked to approve permanent changes to the North Carolina constitution that will harm families for generations.

In particular, a proposed amendment to cap local property taxes looks appealing, but it’s really a gift to data centers, Duke Energy and Raleigh politicians.

The ballot question reads, “For or Against: Constitutional amendment requiring limits on property tax increases by local governments.”

But if it passes, the actual sentence added to the constitution reads, “The General Assembly shall enact general laws limiting the amount by which the levy of taxes on property may increase, which may include exceptions.”

That last phrase – “which may include exceptions” – opens the door for super-sized property owners to lobby state legislators for special tax breaks and extra protection the rest of us won’t get.

In other words, the amendment not only gives control of local property taxes to politicians in Raleigh; it also tells them they can hand out favors to whoever they want.

The big winners will be corporate owners with lobbyists and campaign money to attract the attention of political leaders.

In Wake County, as in many other counties, Duke Energy is the biggest property taxpayer, followed by tech giants, drug makers, banks, and major office park/apartment owners.  Wolfspeed Inc., the data center chipmaker, ranks first in Durham County, followed by Eli Lilly & Company.

Corporate owners lead city and county lists across the state, from Alamance to Wilson.  And they provide a crucial share of the tax revenue needed to finance public services, as they should.

The top 25 property taxpayers in Wake County pay more than 33,000 families in homes worth $400,000.  You can understand why corporations will lobby for special treatment if this amendment passes.

And they’ll find a way to win.  Ten years ago, IBM and its data center in the Research Triangle Park outranked Wolfspeed as the number one property taxpayer in Durham County.  Today, IBM has dropped off the top 25 list, due to its persistent litigation and lobbying.

Even if the legislature doesn’t pick favorites for “exceptions” and instead limits everyone’s tax payment, we will still lose.  The big taxpayers will benefit the most and leave a giant hole in local budgets.  We’ll have to fill the hole with higher fees and sales taxes that hit low- and middle-income families hardest – or we lose the funds needed for public safety, schools, water and sewer service, etc.

Voter Guide: 2026 NC voter guide

Like many civic groups, the nonpartisan League of Women Voters recommends that voters oppose the property tax amendment.  LWV says it “would shift greater authority over local funding decisions to the state while leaving the actual limits, formulas and possible exceptions to future legislation.”

Another constitutional amendment on our ballot would cap the state’s income tax rate at 3.5%.  The cap bans a system that taxes the super-rich and corporations at a higher rate than moderate-income residents – and will force increases in service fees and sales taxes.

Earlier this year, Missouri voters defeated a so-called tax reform referendum after a months-long campaign exposed it would primarily benefit billionaires and “stick each working family with a bill of about $500 more each year.”

We have very little time to spread the truth about the harmful impact of the tax amendments on our ballot.

The NC Budget and Tax Center points out that the property tax amendment doesn’t guarantee a lower tax rate for homeowners; it just gives state legislators authority to pick who gets relief and who pays more.

The center also estimates the income tax amendment could eventually require replacing lost revenue with higher sales taxes that cost the average working family over $900 a year.

Spread the word far and wide.  Go to https://ncvoteagainst.org to learn more.

Like Halloween candy offered by a suspicious stranger, voters have good reason to reject proposals that look good on the surface, but actually give more power to state politicians and wealthy corporations at our expense.