Leland holding town council meeting, hopes to hear public comment on proposed budget

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — A possible property tax hike in Leland is expected to generate a lot of public comment at Thursday’s town council meeting.  

WWAY looks behind the numbers and why the number of people who show up at Wednesday’s meeting matters. 

“This time it’s such a large increase. I think that’s the biggest objection most people have,” Leland resident, Barry Swaim, said. 

The Town of Leland is considering a 70% tax rate increase for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The current rate is 23-cents per $100 of valuation. With this proposed increase, it would jump to 39-cents. 

Town Manager David Hollis said he is aware of the opinions surrounding the increase. 

“Major concern is obviously the increase in the proposed tax rate,” Hollis said. 

A recent budget work session was held in an effort to address some of the questions Leland residents have. 

“We’ve had a public forum with staff to try to answer questions about things that people may have questions about in the budget,” Hollis said. “A lot of people had comments that they wanted to make, and those comments need to be directed to council and tonight’s their opportunity to do that.” 

Leland resident, Barry Swaim, said he’s heard a lot of opinions about the proposed tax rate increase. He said everyone with concerns should be present at these meetings because providing input does make a difference. 

“We live in a democratic society. So, everybody’s voice matters, everybody’s vote matters of course. So, ya know, hopefully the town council wants to hear from everyone,” Swaim said. 

The meeting starts at 6 o’clock at Leland Town Hall. WWAY will be at the meeting and will have the highlights on our news at 10 and 11.