Currituck County commissioners oppose state limits on property tax authority and back tier system reform

The Currituck County Board of Commissioners voted May 4 to adopt a resolution opposing legislative proposals that would cap or otherwise reduce county property tax authority, and separately approved a resolution supporting regional efforts to reform the North Carolina Department of Commerce tier ranking formula.

County staff said the first resolution, shared with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, opposes changes—via constitutional amendment, statute or administrative action—that would reduce local flexibility, destabilize county finances and shift costs onto less stable revenue sources. A commissioner noted one recently introduced proposal affecting sales tax could be the equivalent of losing roughly $1.4–$1.5 million in revenue for Currituck County.

The second resolution supports a Chamber-led regional effort to modify the tier formula so rankings better reflect current infrastructure and service demands; staff described possible changes such as restoring population to the formula or excluding certain programs not related to economic development. Commissioners said they will share the opposing resolution with the NCACC, and both items passed after motions and seconds with one opposing vote recorded on each.

County staff also told the board they will draft additional resolutions the board requested at the meeting, including opposition to a Dominion Energy rate increase filing with the North Carolina Utilities Commission and support for legislation related to commercial and recreational fishing regulatory actions.