Voters Say NC Taxes Too High

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Voters Say NC Taxes Too High

Special Report - March 24, 2010
Nearly two-thirds of North Carolina voters think their taxes are too high, and more than three-fourths prefer for the state to cut spending rather than raise taxes to address budget deficits, according to new survey. The results are the first in a series by the Carolina Strategy Group “that will seek insight into voter opinions on federal, state and local issues.” This first installment surveyed 1,000 North Carolina voters and was released March 16.

Among the findings are:

64.5 percent of North Carolina voters think their taxes are too high, while 30 percent of voters think their tax bill is “about right.”
52 percent of North Carolina voters think the state is headed in the wrong direction, compared to 31.7 percent of voters who think the state is headed in the right direction.
52.7 percent of North Carolina voters oppose extending the sales tax to apply to some professional services, compared to 32.8 percent of voters who would support such a tax.
55.6 percent of North Carolina voters would prefer for the state lower taxes on businesses to help create jobs, while 34 percent of voters prefer for the state to offer economic incentives to businesses.
50.1 percent of North Carolina voters consider out-of-control spending to be a bigger problem in the state than political corruption; 38.7 percent consider corruption to be the bigger problem.
42.2 percent of North Carolina voters have either been unemployed themselves, or have an immediate family member who has been unemployed, in the last six months.

The survey results come as legislators prepare to reconvene for the General Assembly’s 2010 “Short Session” in May, where they will be faced with closing a growing budget shortfall, after raising nearly $1 billion in new taxes in 2009. A study committee has been meeting during the interim to consider possible reforms to the state’s tax code, including the expansion of the tax base to include taxes on services. Former and current government officials and agencies have been plagued by ethics complaints, and violations during the interim between the 2009 and 2010 session, resulting in calls for another round of ethics reforms. In an election year, legislators are likely to be even more interested in addressing the priorities and concerns of citizens.