“In theory, it sounds good,” Pope said. “I know a lot of voters are upset over past reevaluations, inflation impacting prices, causing things to go up. … But I think they need to look past a knee-jerk reaction. Something that sounds good initially — but what are the long-term implications? Not just within the next year or two, but five, 10, 15 years down the road.” …

Pope believes local officials should retain significant flexibility in those decisions.

“Your county commissioners at the local level probably have a better feel for what’s going on in that county,” he said. “Every area in the state is different — different needs, different expectations.”

Burke County’s local budget process has generally produced reasonable tax rates while maintaining vital services. So, who should Burke County residents trust to balance taxes with local needs: officials here at home, whose decisions we can examine and challenge, or state lawmakers asking us to approve the constitutional property-tax levy amendment before they reveal the rules? Voting NO is not a vote for higher taxes. It is a vote for local accountability and against writing an undefined mandate into the Constitution. On Nov. 3, Burke County voters should vote NO to the constitutional property-tax levy amendment and demand a clear, honest, and workable plan.

I'm against the property tax amendment because it's a power grab from Local officials and there's to many unanswered questions on who decides how to handle growth and who decides what the cap is .

I'm against the income tax amendment because it doesn't solve or provide any relevant resources for everyday working people.

On Asheville City Council, I’m responsible for making every dollar count. These amendments would make that work harder — restricting funding options and giving Raleigh more control over local decisions. Families could pay through higher fees, delayed repairs, and fewer services.

After Helene, we know how quickly a community’s needs can change. Writing these restrictions into our Constitution would limit our ability to respond to the next crisis and prepare for it now.

I’m voting against both tax amendments. Asheville needs affordable living, reliable services, and a say in our own future.

There's an income tax amendment and a property tax amendment, and I think these constitutional amendments are really con jobs because what it will end up doing is putting more burden on working people.

Former Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan, who served 20 years on council, including 12 as mayor, noted that cities and counties are often battling unfunded mandates. This amendment could allow state government to push more financial impact to municipalities, she said, while tying their hands on how to cope with it.

“I think that the amendment could actually, if passed, have an unintended consequence, which would be that they might raise taxes every year, knowing that they’re capped,” she said.

Keith Holliday, who served four years on council and eight years as Greensboro’s mayor two decades ago, opposes the amendment, saying it’s a result of a relative few state legislators “meddling” in home rule. …

“We don't need to be putting handcuffs on local governments. If local government leaders are making bad decisions, vote them out, plain and simple,” Holliday told me. “We don't need Raleigh telling us how to do it any more than Washington needs to be telling the state of North Carolina how to do it.”

“These amendments are a wolf in sheep's clothing designed to manipulate voters when the consequences of passing these amendments will hurt our ability to support public education, public safety, access to affordable healthcare, and more. Don't be fooled.”

This Amendment would lock in a future cap to the rate of 3.5% with which North Carolina has no experience. Since the personal income tax provides one half of the revenue for the general fund of the state, this is a risky bet.

… I will vote NO on November 3, 2026.

By concentrating financial authority in the hands of state lawmakers, these amendments undermine the ability of local leaders to address the specific needs of their communities. Davie County requires dependable state support alongside the local authority to generate revenue through property taxes, ensuring essential services such as emergency response, sanitation, and public well-being remain fully funded.