Taxes & Fiscal Policy

"Currently, it feels like too much of the tax burden is put on property owners relative to what they are getting in return. Encouraging responsible spending from each department, adding more grant-writing capacity, and budget transparency will help county dollars stretch farther while giving residents peace of mind that their tax dollars are being spent responsibly and transparently."

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Revenue-Neutral Property Tax Rate

A countywide property value reassessment is coming — and that means many homeowners will see their assessed values change significantly. Phil commits to keeping property tax collections revenue-neutral, adjusted for inflation. If your property value goes up on paper, your tax bill should not spike as a result. The reassessment process must be fair, transparent, and accompanied by a clear rate adjustment that protects existing residents.

Set the post-reassessment tax rate to keep overall collections inflation-adjusted and revenue-neutral
Publish a plain-language explanation of how the reassessment affects individual tax bills
Protect long-term homeowners — especially seniors on fixed incomes — from reassessment-driven displacement

Budget Transparency

The money that Rutherford County uses to fund county operations is our money. Taxpayers deserve to know exactly how that money is spent.

Require the county to publish a plain-language budget summary each year
Publish all county budgets from the past ten years on the Rutherford County website

Spending Accountability

Every program funded by taxpayers should have measurable goals and be evaluated against them. Phil will push for outcome-based budgeting that rewards results and cuts what doesn't work.

Eliminate redundant programs and administrative overlap
Benchmark county costs against comparable North Carolina counties

Capturing Grant Dollars for Rutherford County

Rutherford County has a significant advantage for grant opportunities relative to many other North Carolina counties, as both a Tier 1 county and an Appalachian region county. Unfortunately, we are not fully capitalizing on these opportunities. Hiring a dedicated grant writer will ensure we are capturing every grant opportunity available.

Hire a dedicated full-time grant writer to actively pursue federal, state, and foundation funding
Partner with every county department to identify grant-eligible projects and needs
Track and publicly report grant applications submitted, awards received, and dollars secured

Fiscal Responsibility

We need to maintain healthy reserve funds, avoid debt where possible, and make sure that we are utilizing existing resources to their fullest potential before making capital expenditures to fund new projects.

Maintain county reserve funds at or above state-recommended levels
Audit existing county assets and resources before approving new capital expenditures

Help shape the agenda

Phil wants to hear from taxpayers and small business owners in District 5.

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