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I am also certain you are right as well, I know I have seen other charts showing Durham has a higher tax rate than CH...
Over the past 8 years, the tax rate for the City of Durham has consistently been comparable to (and occasionally higher than) the tax rate for the Town of Chapel Hill. The county rates, though, have generally been higher in Orange County than in Durham County, and the additional CH-C school district tax adds even more.
As a result, the overall tax rate for a Chapel Hill property (paying CH-C school taxes) has consistently been higher than a property in the city of Durham.
Orange County Historical Tax Rates (http://www.co.orange.nc.us/budget/documents/HistoricalTaxRates.pdf - broken link) (note that this table doesn't include the Chapel Hill city taxes - you can see those on the Durham County page linked below, though.)
Over the past 8 years, the tax rate for the City of Durham has consistently been comparable to (and occasionally higher than) the tax rate for the Town of Chapel Hill. The county rates, though, have generally been higher in Orange County than in Durham County, and the additional CH-C school district tax adds even more.
As a result, the overall tax rate for a Chapel Hill property (paying CH-C school taxes) has consistently been higher than a property in the city of Durham.
Orange County Historical Tax Rates (http://www.co.orange.nc.us/budget/documents/HistoricalTaxRates.pdf - broken link) (note that this table doesn't include the Chapel Hill city taxes - you can see those on the Durham County page linked below, though.)
Not entirely accurate. There are three levels of taxes: Orange County tax, Chapel Hill city limits tax, and a CH-C school system tax. Those who live on the border (I am one of those) pay the Orange County tax and the CH-C school tax but not the Chapel Hill city limits tax. So we don't get access to the Chapel Hill police and fire department, city sewer or water, etc., but our kids can go to Chapel Hill schools. It's the best of both worlds IMO.
Until last year, our tax rate for Orange County tax and Chapel Hill schools tax was 1.15%. However, our property values were recently reassessed and the assessments increases by a crazy amount, around 23%! For example, mine went from $600K to $725K! While Chapel Hill real estate is more stable than most of the country that's just insane. But's it's just too big of a pain in the a** to fight it.
Thanks for the clarification. You are right. We do give up more than I noted, but it is the best of both worlds in my opinion too. I noticed my error this morning as I was re-visiting our tax revaluation as well. We fought ours and they came down about $10k. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you spin it) our purchase price was much lower than our appraisal, but they will use the appraisal as a defense of their valuation rather than adjusting it to the "true" market value that I paid.
Keep in mind the new revenue neutral tax rate is 85.8 cents in 2009 vs. 99.8 in 2008 for the county rate. And, they still have to adjust the school tax rate so even though your tax value went up, your tax rate is coming down. However, I know this is little compensation when we're talking about a $125k jump. I'd say fight it if you can get an appraisal closer to the $600k.
I noticed my error this morning as I was re-visiting our tax revaluation as well. We fought ours and they came down about $10k. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you spin it) our purchase price was much lower than our appraisal, but they will use the appraisal as a defense of their valuation rather than adjusting it to the "true" market value that I paid.
How will they know about the appraisal unless you give it to them?
Quote:
Originally Posted by huckdisc
Keep in mind the new revenue neutral tax rate is 85.8 cents in 2009 vs. 99.8 in 2008 for the county rate. And, they still have to adjust the school tax rate so even though your tax value went up, your tax rate is coming down.
The rate is "revenue neutral" with respect to all sources of county tax revenue, not as applied only to real property taxes. In other words, the rate is going up for real property to account for a drop in proceeds from automobile taxes, etc.
Keep in mind the new revenue neutral tax rate is 85.8 cents in 2009 vs. 99.8 in 2008 for the county rate. And, they still have to adjust the school tax rate so even though your tax value went up, your tax rate is coming down. However, I know this is little compensation when we're talking about a $125k jump. I'd say fight it if you can get an appraisal closer to the $600k.
Thanks for that info. I knew the tax ratew ould be coming down but didn't know to what level. I hope they don't bring the school tax rate too much. I have been hearing that the cuts to some school programs could be drastic. One of Chapel Hill's competitive advantages is its school system. We should try to maintain that, even if faced with a little higher property taxes.
How will they know about the appraisal unless you give it to them?
The rate is "revenue neutral" with respect to all sources of county tax revenue, not as applied only to real property taxes. In other words, the rate is going up for real property to account for a drop in proceeds from automobile taxes, etc.
The appraisal is the first thing they'll ask for at the hearing, and well, that would be the end of the hearing for me.
I am a recent (as of a few days ago!) graduate of a Chapel Hill-Carrboro City school, so I have a lot to say about this:
1) The system does NOT pay their teachers especially well at all. During my four years in high school, I had several teachers leave the district for better-paying jobs at other (what I would assume to be poorer) schools. Teachers stay in the district because they enjoy teaching high-achieving kids.
2) The schools get a high reputation because of the caliber of students they get. Kids compete, in the truest sense of the word, to get into top colleges. When they do so, it is DESPITE their high school, not a result of it. I don't mean to bash the faculty of the schools -- many of my teachers have been wonderful, caring, intelligent people -- but the administration and atmosphere of the schools is a huge detriment. The school really owes it to their high-achieving students for keeping the school's reputation as it is. I'm not saying this bitterly or arrogantly; I'm saying it because it is the truth.
3) The schools ARE well-funded compared to other districts' schools. Unfortunately, the money seems to go into buying tech gadgets rather than into the teachers' pockets. The facilities are unquestionably nicer than at other schools. This is again, though, a result of the academically-oriented parents (faculty at UNC and Duke, for example) who send their kids to the school system.
A lot of this echoes what others have said. It's all, unsurprisingly, an effect of being a college town with academic families needing a place to send their kids.
The appraisal is the first thing they'll ask for at the hearing, and well, that would be the end of the hearing for me.
I'm no expert, but it seems to me actual marketed data trumps estimated market data. I don't know that the Board has the right to demand your appraisal if you don't otherwise present it as part of your case.
Yeah, no offense to CH schools, but I have personal experience with my niece being a fine student there. It's not like there are doing anything different or special, it's that the students are from highly educated parents, and therefore students perform well. My niece literally gets straight As and really doesn't try hard. It's all good though, I guess I'd rather send my kids to CH schools than Durham schools, and I actually do send my child to Durham schools.
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