The Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners want to hike your taxes--again! This year they raised property taxes for the second year in a row, and now they want to raise your sales tax, too. 

The 1/4 cent sales tax increase would raise approximately $50 million per year. Half the money would go to the Arts and Science Council, and the remainder would be split between greenway funding, increasing teacher supplements, and giving money to Mecklenburg County towns for parks and arts. 

Here's what they aren't telling you:

1. Sales tax is a regressive tax, which means that it disproportionately hurts the working poor and elderly. They cannot as easily afford the tax increase, compared to someone who is wealthy.
2. Sales tax is volatile. When a recession comes, the sales tax revenue will go down. What will happen to the Arts and Science Council funding? What will happen to the teacher salaries?
3. Sales tax goes into the county's General Revenue Fund. This Board of County Commissioners may promise to spend the tax revenue a certain way, but a future Board of County Commissioners may choose to spend it a different way. And there is nothing anyone can do about it. 
4. A similar 2014 sales tax referendum failed in Mecklenburg County 61% to 39%, and the revenue would have gone to teacher supplement increases and the Arts and Science Council. The community overwhelmingly voted against the tax hike then.
5. There is no "sunset clause" on this tax hike. Once it's here, it is here forever.

The Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners cannot raise the sales tax by themselves. They have to approve the tax increase, and then it has to go to the voters to approve it via referendum. Tell the Commissioners NO--DON'T RAISE OUR TAXES AGAIN! And if they do send it to referendum, then VOTE NO!

Let's tell the Commissioners that while we support things like the arts, we DON'T want our taxes raised to pay for it! Let those who use and enjoy the arts be the ones who pay for it.

George Dunlap--Chair, District 3 George.Dunlap@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Elaine Powell--Vice Chair, District 1: elaine.powell@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Pat Cotham--At Large: pat.cotham@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Trevor Fuller--At Large: trevor.fuller@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Ella Scarborough--At Large: ella.scarborough@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Vilma Leake--District 2: vilma.leake@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Mark Jerrell--District 4: mark.jerrell@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Susan B. Harden--District 5: susan.harden@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Susan Rodriguez-McDowell--District 6: susan.rodriguez-mcdowell@mecklenburgcountync.gov