Agenda - 03-07-2017 - 5-a - Orange County's Proposed 2017 Legislative Agenda

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35 Tax and Finance Approved Goals TF-1: Support efforts to preserve and expand the existing local revenue base of counties, and oppose efforts to divert fees or taxes currently allocated to the counties to the state. Oppose efforts to erode existing county revenue streams and authorize local option revenue sources already given to any other jurisdiction. • Counties rely heavily on property taxes to fund federal and state mandated services, with property taxes making up on average 50% of county revenues. • Counties need flexibility to generate revenue from multiple sources, including local sales taxes, to meet local demands for services. • Expanded property tax exemptions or exclusions erode a county's ability to generate consistent revenue to provide services to all property owners. TF-2: Support legislation to grow North Carolina's statewide economy through sound state investments, including public infrastructure funding, competitive incentives, and coordinated efforts with county economic development services. • The change to North Carolina's economic development model establishing a public/private partnership to oversee business recruitment and retention did not define the specific county role in economic development or coordination needed for integrating local efforts within the new state model. • State tax reform efforts have substituted corporate and personal income tax rate decreases for tax credit programs, eliminating targeted tax incentives to specific industries and rural areas. • Adequate infrastructure funding and maintenance for highways, digital assets, coastal storm damage prevention, and freight networks enhances other state and local economic development tools. TF-3: Support legislation to restore state aid funding of public libraries to the pre-2011 level of $15.7 million and eliminate special provisions that distribute state aid outside of the equitable formula developed by the State Library Commission. Guiding Principles • The county revenue base should be broad and balanced, with authority to raise revenues from various sources, rather than being overly reliant on any single revenue source or overly burdensome on any 1 group of taxpayers. • The Association opposes the redistribution of existing local revenues; distribution of new tax sources should assess local needs, local funding efforts, and local funding capability.