New Hanover County tax increase

If you live in New Hanover County, the tax news is not good.

Coming off a financial short fall, county commissioners decided today that the difference is coming out of your wallet.

If you own a home, and pay taxes to the county, your taxes are going up.

County commission chairman Bobby Greer says this was not an easy decision, but given the lower budget this year, it just has to happen.

“I don’t think anyone wants a tax increase. I don’t want one. But then again I think people expect the schools to be kept clean, the parks to have grass cut. They expect when they call the law enforcement or Sheriff’s deputy, they expect them to be there,” said Greer.

The board went back and forth about what the tax increase will be exactly, but after some negotiation, they settled on three-and-a-quarter cents for every $100.

Homeowners we spoke with are not happy about this increase. They say with gas prices so high, the last thing they need to worry about is their property taxes going up.