This news item expired on Wednesday, October 30, 2013 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
For counties with the population of 100,000 and larger, Buncombe County has the highest tax collection rate this year. There are 27 counties with 100,000 and larger population.
Here are Tax Collection Rates for the ten largest counties and their largest cities:
|
Buncombe |
99.04 |
|
Asheville |
99.35 |
|
Wake |
98.98 |
|
Raleigh |
97.98 |
|
Durham |
98.92 |
|
Durham |
98.83 |
|
New Hanover |
98.46 |
|
Wilmington |
98.21 |
|
Union |
98.21 |
|
|
|
|
Mecklenburg |
98.18 |
|
Charlotte |
97.46 |
|
Forsyth |
98.05 |
|
Winston Salem |
97.92 |
|
Guilford |
97.60 |
|
Greensboro |
97.62 |
|
Cumberland |
97.42 |
|
|
|
|
Gaston |
96.89 |
|
|
|
Why is a high tax collection rate important?
The County does not have to make up for revenue the tax office can’t collect and can receive a lower interest rate on short term financing projects with financial institutions. A high collection rate may improve the bond rating which helps sell county bonds and saves tax dollars on large building projects for the County.
County tax revenue provides essential county services like emergency medical and ambulance service, law enforcement, solid waste disposal and public health as well as libraries, pools and recreation services. This high collection rate is attributed to the work of County Tax Office staff who are constantly looking for new ways to work with citizens who have been impacted by the economy. They have and will set up many different types of payment plans to better serve the citizens.
Tax bills will be mailed in August and payment plans can be set up now allowing more time to pay before the January 5, 2014 deadline.
Programs and exemptions that help reduce property taxes for citizens who qualify include the Disabled Exemption, Veterans and Circuit Breaker, Agricultural, Horticultural and Forestry programs. To learn more about these programs, contact the Tax Office at 250-4910.