The cities of Pinehurst and West Orange are planning increases in property taxes for 2027 as Orange, which has the highest city tax rate in the county, tries to keep its rate stable.
The cities, along with Orange County, have budget years that run October 1 through September 30 and the new tax rates and budgets must be approved by that time.
Pinehurst is proposing a rate of 75.1 cents per $100 value, up from 69.5 cents per $100 value, which is the maximum amount the state allows without a local election to vote on the rate.
The Pinehurst City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, for public hearings on the proposed 2026-27 budget and the proposed tax rate. The agenda also allows the county to vote to accept the proposed tax rate and budget. The meeting will be at Pinehurst City Hall, 2497 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
The proposed tax rate of 75.1 cents per $100 valuation will cost the owner of a $100,000 house with the city’s 20 percent homestead exemption an extra $44 a year, from about $556 to $600. The city has an additional $10,000 exemption in property value for senior citizens and the disabled.
The proposed city budget is for $3.16 million, with the biggest expense for the police department, followed by the street department and then the fire department.
The West Orange City Council will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday for public hearings on the budget and tax rate. The city is proposing a property tax rate of 42 cents per $100 valuation, up from the current 38 cents per $100 valuation. The owner of a $100,000 house with 20 percent homestead exemption will pay about $32 more, or $336 instead of $304. The city has an additional $17,000 exemption in value for senior citizens and the disabled.
The proposed budget is $4.57 million. The council meets at City Hall with the entrance to the council chambers on Austin Street.
The Orange City Council will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Council Auditorium next to the public library for a second and final reading of the budget and tax rate. The city’s charter requires two votes.
Orange is will have a tax rate of 86.6 cents per $100 value, down from 87 cents per $100 value.
The Bridge City Council voted in August for a 55 cents per $100 valuation, the same rate as the current year.
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