Town hall meeting seeks solutions for southeast Raleigh tax burden

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Dozens gathered for a town hall meeting on Monday night in southeast Raleigh to discuss concerns about rising property taxes happening in Wake County, with longtime homeowners and legacy families feeling priced out.

“On Thursday will be 68 years that I’ve lived in southeast Raleigh,” said Anthony Pope.

In that time, he says, the taxes on his home that his mom bought jumped to $4,600 when he moved in over 10 years ago.

“The tax disparity has certainly been an issue in this community for a long time. It’s not something that’s just started. But what we find particularly in southeast Raleigh is because the neighborhoods are being gentrified. You have all these new homes moving in. And so as a result of being constructed, as a result is raising the taxes for long-term residents,” Pope said.

Earlier this year, data from ABC11 and ABC News found similar trends across the Triangle. In Orange County, for example, houses right down the street from each other were taxed at different rates.

And overall, homes in minority-majority neighborhoods were on average taxed at higher rates.

Back at the town hall, the Wake County tax administrator was in attendance to take questions, saying decisions are based on the value of the land, and homeowners can appeal.

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“We have 46 appraisers working in our office. The market drives the values. But one thing you should keep in mind is you’ve probably never seen us walk up to your house and knock on your door and say, ‘Hey, we come in and look inside your house?’ We don’t do that. So we do our best, typically using an average income condition for the home,” said Marcus Kinrade.

As for Pope, he said he was able to take advantage of tax-relief programs to get his bill reduced and hopes more homeowners will be informed.

“We’re trying to advocate and promote families pulling together and the younger generation helping the older generation in terms of taking advantage of the programs that are there for us,” he said.