Leland Town Council approves $46 million budget, including 17% tax rate increase

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — After weeks of contentious public outcry, the Leland Town Council unanimously approved the town’s $46 million budget for the fiscal year 2024-25.

The budget includes a 17% tax rate increase, increasing the tax rate from 23 cents to 27 cents per $100 property valuation.

The council originally proposed a 70% increase to 39 cents per $100 property valuation.

Leland residents made one last attempt to try and prevent the rate increase from being approved.

Despite the drop, resident Rhonda Florian said the council does not represent the will of the people.

“”Taxation without representation was the battle cry of the Revolutionary War,” Florian said. “It has become clear to the citizens of Leland that we have no representation on this council. You represent developers and your own agenda, not us.”

Beth Martin said she appreciated the actions of the council once they decided to reduce the rate increase to 17%.

“When they came out with the 39 cents, I was very upset and they got killed for it,” Martin said. “But they listened, they considered it and they responded, they lowered it. And I think that took a lot of guts. They didn’t have to do it. They could have said tough, pay up and that would have been that, but they didn’t do that.”

Council member Bill McHugh said the 4 cent increase will be used to upgrade roads, improve police, and expand the fire department.

“You know, frankly, we believe that these are services that have to be expanded as our community grows,” McHugh said. “We are going to continue to grow, we’ve been growing at over 3,000 residents a year, year-over-year. This has to be done.”

According to McHugh, the average home in Leland is worth $355,000 and was paying around $816 a year in property taxes. With the rate increase approved Thursday, homeowners would pay an additional $142 a year in property taxes.