By Richard Sullins | richard@rantnc.com
Lee County residents are facing the largest property tax increase in more than five years — a jump county officials say is necessary as rapid growth, rising service costs, and stubborn inflation converge. If the proposed tax rate is adopted, homeowners, renters, and business owners alike will feel the effects when tax bills arrive this fall.
County Manager Lisa Minter delivered her recommended Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget to commissioners on Monday, outlining a plan that raises the property tax rate from 65 to 70 cents per $100 of assessed value. A public hearing is set for June 1, and commissioners will need adopt the budget before the June 30 in accordance with state law.
What the numbers mean for you
The county’s tax base grew modestly this year — a 4.45 percent increase in real property value and a 2.94 percent increase in motor vehicle value — bringing the total assessed value of all property in Lee County to $10.3 billion. But that growth wasn’t enough to cover rising costs.
For residents, the most immediate impact is the five cent tax increase. In practical terms:
A home assessed at $250,000 will see an annual tax increase of about $125.
A $350,000 home will pay roughly $175 more.
Commercial properties will see proportional increases, which may be passed along to tenants.
And renters aren’t insulated. Landlords typically adjust rents to reflect higher tax bills, meaning many tenants could feel the impact when leases renew.
This increase also arrives just months before the county’s next full property revaluation in early 2027 — a process expected to raise assessed values for most property owners.
Why this is happening now
County officials say the squeeze is coming from every direction: higher fuel costs for county vehicles, rising construction prices for schools and public buildings, increased demand for EMS and social services, and a population that has grown faster than anyone projected.
“Natural growth in the tax base covered the majority of the continuation budget, but was ultimately not adequate to fund our required increases, cover our revenue losses, and advance the Board’s priorities for the upcoming year without an increase,” Minter wrote in her budget message.
Even with stronger than expected sales tax revenue — projected to grow four percent next year — the county says it can’t maintain services without adjusting the tax rate.
A county growing faster than expected
Lee County is now the 11th fastest growing county in North Carolina, surpassing even Chatham and Mecklenburg in percentage growth. The population has climbed 13 percent since 2020, reaching 70,000 residents four years earlier than projected. Demographers expect the county to hit 75,000 by 2030 and 100,000 by 2050.
That growth has fueled demand for EMS, schools, law enforcement, and infrastructure — and the new budget reflects those pressures.
Emergency medical services
A new five year EMS contract, expected to save money, instead became a drawn out process that will ultimately keep FirstHealth of the Carolinas as the county’s provider. The first year cost of the contract is $2.87 million, an increase of $1.77 million over the current year. Similar increases are expected in future years.
Lee County Schools
After years of strained relations, the county and school board have started moving toward cooperation, especially around efforts to secure state funding for a new elementary school. Enrollment across the district’s 17 campuses continues to hover above 9,000 students.
The recommended budget provides $25.18 million in operating funds — an increase of $1.88 million, but still short of the $26.75 million requested by the school district — to cover rising costs and implement new pay structures. It also includes $2.12 million for capital needs and funds 19 school resource officers at a cost of $1.99 million.
County employees
The budget recommends a 2.2 percent cost of living adjustment for all county employees, with eligible staff receiving additional pay plan adjustments for a total increase of 4.6 percent.
Central Carolina Community College
The county’s appropriation to the Lee Campus would increase by $193,600 to support non instructional operations. Funding continues for the Lee College Promise Program, the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, and the E. Eugene Moore Manufacturing and Biotech Solutions Center.
Other recommendations
Nonprofit organizations receiving county funds will continue to do so, though at reduced levels. Solid waste disposal fees will remain at $150 per household, thanks to cost saving measures within the department.
What happens next
The public hearing on the proposed budget will be held 6 p.m. June 1 at the new Lee County Library, 1740 Bragg Street — a chance for residents to see the county’s newest facility and to speak directly about how their tax dollars are being spent.
There had better not be any given away to the illegal aliens. The wonderful leadership for Lee County might get replaced.
If our county commissioners and sanford growth alliance would put a complete halt to all these developers putting in subdivisions over populating or county. They say it brings more tax dollars. But evidently it doesn’t! Just makes the residents born and raised here suffer and pay the price for their mistakes. If you want to live in cary, raleigh, apex and pay high taxes move or stay there. Lee County is doomed because of the county commissioners and growth alliance that can’t say no more growth let’s stop and fix what we have.
I keep posting this comment and it never shows up so I’ll try again…
These developers and national home builders are making record profits while us lifelong county residents pay the price. Every new subdivision approved needs to have an impact fee applied to it that goes towards the county budget.
We had an increase 2 or 3 yrs ago, we had just bought our property a new house and got hit with an increase. We are seniors on fixed incomes what about increasing the amounts of income to get help, Our pharmacy bills, groceries are through the roof and the council seems heartless. Other states and counties we lived gave seniors exemptions on school taxes since we don’t have children as attending and a homestead exemption. I’m afraid they are giving. very little thought to those on fixed incomes and age an physical limitations make impossible to earn more money to pay for all the increases. Some day you who make all there decisions could be like me.
THE EXPECTATION SHOULD NOT BE THAT CITIZENS PROVE WHY TAXES SHOULD NOT INCREASE.
THE EXPECTATION SHOULD BE THAT GOVERNMENT PROVES WHY THEY SHOULD.
I have lived in Lee County since 2018. Like many families, I have watched the cost of living rise year after year. My mortgage payment has increased by approximately $600 per month since I purchased my home. Property taxes have increased, insurance costs have increased, utilities have increased, food costs have increased, and healthcare costs have increased.
Now we are being told that Lee County needs another property tax increase while simultaneously moving toward another countywide property revaluation in 2027.
The question every taxpayer should be asking is simple:
**Where did all the money go?**
Because according to Lee County’s own financial records, taxpayers have already provided substantially more money to county government over the last several years.
Let’s look at the facts.
According to Lee County’s audited financial statements:
* Total county revenue increased from approximately **$72.8 million in FY2018** to approximately **$115.4 million in FY2024** — an increase of nearly **$43 million per year**, or roughly **58%**.
* Property tax revenue increased from approximately **$45.4 million** to approximately **$67.3 million** during the same period — an increase of nearly **$22 million per year**.
* County population increased from approximately **60,430 residents** to approximately **67,059 residents** — an increase of roughly **11%**.
Let that sink in.
**County revenue grew approximately FIVE TIMES faster than population growth.**
If growth is the reason government needs more money, then taxpayers deserve an explanation as to why revenue growth has dramatically outpaced population growth.
The county’s own records also show:
* Public safety spending increased from approximately **$13.3 million** to approximately **$21.2 million** — an increase of approximately **60%**.
* County assessed property values increased dramatically after the 2023 revaluation, growing from approximately **$6.9 billion** to approximately **$9.4 billion** in taxable value.
* County reserve levels currently exceed the county’s own policy target levels.
* Major capital projects and debt-funded construction have expanded significantly.
* County employee headcount increased from approximately **451 employees in 2019** to approximately **522 employees in 2024**.
* Average employee salary increased from approximately **$35,368** to approximately **$49,158** during that same period.
Again, these are not accusations. These are numbers from public records.
The burden is not on taxpayers to explain these increases.
**The burden is on county leadership.**
There is another reality that county leadership must acknowledge.
Not every resident of Lee County is benefiting from rising property values.
For many retirees, veterans, disabled citizens, widows, and fixed-income households, rising property values do not create wealth that can be spent. They simply create larger tax bills, higher insurance costs, and higher housing expenses.
According to U.S. Census data, Lee County is home to:
* More than **12,000 residents age 65 and older**
* Approximately **3,600 veterans**
* Thousands of residents living with disabilities
* Nearly **10,000 residents living below the poverty line**
* More than **one-quarter of all households that are already housing-cost burdened**, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs
A retired couple living on Social Security does not receive a 58% increase in income because county revenues increased 58%.
A disabled veteran living on a fixed income does not receive a cost-of-living adjustment large enough to offset repeated increases in taxes, insurance, utilities, and housing costs.
Many of the people most affected by these decisions are not speculators, investors, or developers. They are the people who spent decades working, paying taxes, serving their communities, raising families, and building their lives in Lee County.
The question county leadership should ask itself is not whether residents can afford one more increase this year.
The question is whether the cumulative effect of repeated tax increases, reassessments, rising insurance costs, and rising housing expenses is gradually making Lee County unaffordable for the very people who helped build it.
A community should not become so focused on attracting future residents that it forgets about the citizens who are already here.
Growth should improve the lives of existing residents, not make it harder for them to remain in the homes they worked their entire lives to own.
The county has repeatedly justified spending and borrowing based on future growth.
Well, that growth is here.
According to publicly available development records, thousands of residential units have already been approved, are under construction, or are in the development pipeline. Major developments such as Galvin’s Ridge, Midtown Village South, Laurel Oaks, Deep River East, Deep River West, Broadwell, Ashby Village, The Station Apartments, and numerous other projects represent thousands of future homes and apartments that will enter the county tax base.
State population projections show Lee County continuing to grow for decades.
So taxpayers have a legitimate question:
**If thousands of new homes, new businesses, new commercial properties, and future taxpayers are already entering the tax base, why are current homeowners being asked to absorb both a tax-rate increase today and another revaluation in 2027 before that future growth has had the opportunity to generate the revenue county leaders said it would generate?**
Perhaps the most troubling part of this entire discussion is not the proposed tax increase itself.
It is the fact that ordinary citizens are being forced to ask questions that elected officials should have already answered before proposing additional financial burdens on the people they represent.
Why are taxpayers having to investigate revenue growth?
Why are taxpayers having to compare population growth to government growth?
Why are taxpayers having to track staffing increases, payroll increases, debt growth, capital projects, incentive agreements, reserve balances, and future development revenue?
Shouldn’t these be the very first questions asked by county leadership before ever proposing a tax increase?
Before government asks a retired couple for more money, shouldn’t government be able to explain where the last $43 million in additional annual revenue went?
Before government asks a disabled veteran on a fixed income to pay more, shouldn’t government be able to demonstrate that every reasonable efficiency has already been pursued?
Before government increases the financial burden on working families, shouldn’t government be able to show that growth, incentives, staffing, debt, and capital spending have been fully evaluated?
That is the role of leadership.
Taxpayers should not have to conduct their own audit to receive basic answers about how their money is being spent.
“The expectation should not be that citizens prove why taxes should not increase.”
“The expectation should be that government proves why they should.”
There is also a larger issue at stake: Transparency.
County officials will correctly point out that budgets, audits, and financial records are public information.
But public information is not the same thing as transparent information.
The average citizen should not have to read thousands of pages of budget documents, financial reports, meeting packets, and public records to understand how their money is being spent.
The average taxpayer should not have to submit records requests, build spreadsheets, and conduct independent research simply to answer basic questions about government spending.
If county leadership believes taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly, then transparency should not be viewed as a threat.
It should be embraced.
**Every taxpayer dollar should be traceable.**
The citizens of Lee County should have access to a public financial transparency portal showing department budgets, actual expenditures, capital project costs, debt obligations, incentive payments, vendor contracts, reserve balances, and other major financial information in a format that ordinary citizens can understand.
Taxpayers should not be forced to conduct their own investigation to discover where their money is going.
True transparency is not merely making information available.
**True transparency is making information understandable, accessible, and accountable.**
Therefore, before any property tax increase is approved and before any future tax burden is imposed through revaluation, taxpayers deserve answers.
Before Any Tax Increase or Future Revaluation:
1. A complete public report showing where the additional **$43 million in annual county revenue** since 2018 has been spent.
2. A department-by-department spending report showing expenditure growth from 2018 through today.
3. A workforce and payroll growth report showing employee growth, payroll growth, benefits growth, overtime, and management growth.
4. A complete audit of every economic development incentive approved since 2018, including jobs promised versus jobs delivered, wages promised versus wages delivered, and tax dollars committed.
5. A public audit of every capital project over $1 million, including original budget, final cost, debt issued, change orders, and annual operating costs.
6. A Growth Pipeline Fiscal Impact Report showing every approved residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use project; projected assessed value; projected annual tax revenue; projected infrastructure costs; and expected break-even date.
7. An independent operational efficiency audit of county government.
8. A requirement that every department produce 5% and 10% spending reduction options before any tax increase is considered.
9. A public explanation of why reserve balances above policy targets are not being used before asking taxpayers for more money.
10. A commitment that future growth will be required to demonstrate how it pays for itself rather than relying on existing residents to subsidize it.
Most importantly, taxpayers deserve a direct answer to one question:
**If county revenue has increased by approximately 58%, property tax revenue has increased by approximately 48%, assessed property values have surged, thousands of future homes are already entering the tax base, county reserves exceed policy targets, and population growth has been only approximately 11%, why is another tax increase necessary?**
Until county leadership answers that question with specific numbers and verifiable evidence, taxpayers have every right to oppose additional tax increases.
The answer to every budget challenge cannot be another tax increase.
At some point government must do what every family, every retiree, every veteran, every disabled citizen, every small business owner, and every working household in Lee County does every day:
**Live within its means. Justify its spending. Demonstrate results. And prove that it is being a responsible steward of the money entrusted to it.**
If county leadership cannot answer these questions, cannot provide these reports, and cannot justify these numbers, then the problem is not that taxpayers are unwilling to contribute more.
**The problem is that county government has not yet demonstrated that it has earned the right to ask.**
Don’t take my word for it, Check the numbers for yourselves.
Sources and Public Records
The figures and information referenced above are derived from publicly available records, including:
• Lee County FY2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR)
• Lee County FY2024 and FY2025-2026 Adopted Budget Documents
• Lee County Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
• North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management Population Projections
• U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Lee County, NC
• Sanford / Lee County Residential Development Activity Tracking Reports
• Sanford / Lee County Project Archive and Development Pipeline Reports
• Publicly available county payroll and compensation data
These documents are available through Lee County government, the U.S. Census Bureau, the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, and related public sources. Citizens are encouraged to review the original records and verify the information independently.
That last increase was a double whammy, property values went up and the tax rate went at the same time. It hurt!
Thank you for a well worded explanation.