How do I pay my taxes? There are five ways to pay your real estate and personal property taxes. A convenience fee will be charged for the Internet and phone options that require a credit/debit card or echeck. This fee is charged and retained by a private company to process the payment transactions. Mecklenburg County does not receive any portion of this fee. Please use Bill Number as reference when paying tax bills. 1. By Internet: Visit http://paytax.charmeck.org and use your credit/debit card or choose echeck to have payment deducted from your checking account. Fee Charged. 2. By Phone: Call Toll-Free 1-877-533-0072 and use your credit/debit card. Fee Charged. 3. By Mail: Mail both the tax payment stub and the check or money order to Mecklenburg County Tax Collector, PO Box 32247, Charlotte NC 28232-2247. Make checks/money orders payable to Mecklenburg County Tax Collector. 4. In Person: Robert L. (Bob) Walton Plaza at 700 East Stonewall Street. Monday-Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. (CASH, CHECK or MONEY ORDER ONLY.) 5. Online Banking: Many financial institutions offer online banking/bill payment services. Fees for this service vary by institution. Mecklenburg County does not receive any portion of the fees associated with this service. Please use the Bill Number as reference when paying tax bills. What are the tax deadlines? Property tax payments (except registered motor vehicles) are due September 1, 2005 and must be paid by January 5, 2006. If mailed, payments must be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service (not by meter) on or before January 5, 2006 to avoid interest charges. Taxpayers whose payment is received after January 5, 2006 will be charged 2% interest for the month of January 2006 and an additional 3/4% interest for every month until paid. All unpaid taxes (except registered motor vehicles) as of January 5 will be advertised in a local newspaper as being delinquent and an additional fee for advertising will be added. All delinquent taxes are subject to garnishment, levy (seizure), and foreclosure. A $25.00 fee or 10% of the check, with a maximum of $1,000.00 will be added for returned checks. Still have questions? Visit our website at http://tax.charmeck.org or email us at mecktax@co.mecklenburg.nc.us or Contact the CharMeck Call Center by dialing 311 if calling within Mecklenburg County or 704-336-4600 if calling outside of Mecklenburg County. To learn more about Mecklenburg County and the services provided, log on to www.4citizenhelp.com. Charlotte Cornelius Davidson Huntersville Matthews Mecklenburg Mint Hill Pineville 2005-2006 Property Taxes Offi ce of the Tax Collector, Mecklenburg County, NC
What do property taxes pay for? When you call the police or fire department, play in a park, send your children to public school, check out a book at the library, or eat at an inspected restaurant, you are using services paid for by your property taxes. Your taxes also pay for services to help people move from welfare to work, protect children and senior citizens from abuse and neglect, protect our water and air from pollution, repair and build roads, and much more. Property taxes are the largest source of revenue to fund these services that you count on every day. For more information about Mecklenburg County s budget, the services funded by your property taxes, and links to the municipal web sites, visit www.4citizenhelp.com. What property is taxed? Property taxes are levied on real property (land and buildings), motor vehicles, boats, trailers and income-producing personal property. You pay taxes to Mecklenburg County and the municipality in which you live. If you live in Charlotte, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill or Pineville, you receive one tax bill for both county and municipal taxes. Property owners in unincorporated Mecklenburg County pay additional taxes for their share of police services through the Law Enforcement Service District Tax. How much will I pay in taxes? The amount of property tax you pay is based on the assessed value of your property. The Tax Assessor determines the value of all taxable property by the first of each year. The tax you pay is based on that value and the tax rate established by the elected city, county or town officials. (Multiply the tax rate by each $100 of assessed value). For example, the tax bill for a home assessed at $150,000 in value will be $1,255.20 for County taxes and $630.00 for Charlotte taxes. What is the solid waste fee on my tax bill? Owners of residential properties within Mecklenburg County (except Matthews) pay a County solid waste fee of $12 per residence, which funds recycling and waste reduction programs. Residential properties within the City of Charlotte are subject to both a County and City solid waste fee. The City fee, which funds the disposal cost of trash collected in Charlotte, is $45 per single-family residence and $27 per multiple-family residence. How do I change my address on my tax bill? To change your mailing address for real estate tax bills, please contact the CharMeck 311 Call Center by dialing 311 if calling within Mecklenburg County and 704-336-7600 for calls originating outside of Mecklenburg County or log on to tax.charmeck.org and click on Office of the Tax Collector. For all registered motor vehicle tax bills, contact the Division of Motor Vehicles which is linked to from the Tax Collector s website. Address information for registered motor vehicle tax bills comes directly from the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Please change your address with their offices and they will send the corrected information to the Tax Assessor s Office the next time you renew your license tag. 2005-2006 Mecklenburg County Budget in Brief (in millions) Program Category by Priority Level FY 2006 County Dollars FY 2006 Total Funding FY 2006 % of Budget Adult Abuse, Neglect Prevention/Protection $ 1.22 $ 1.94 0.14% Adult Mental Illness Prevention/Protection 12.71 22.00 1.44% Aging in Place Services 7.14 11.16 0.81% Building Safety (LUE) 1.62 26.23 0.18% Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Funding 379.50 409.95 43.22% Child Abuse, Neglect Prevention/Protection 18.13 37.14 2.06% CPCC Education Funding - Debt 13.49 13.49 1.53% Debt Service 94.12 107.80 10.72% Economic/Financial Assistance 60.07 119.37 6.84% Substance Abuse Prevention/Treatment 5.63 11.71 0.64% Total Priority 1 $ 593.63 $ 760.79 67.62% Air Quality 0.50 2.35 0.05% Child Mental Illness Prevention/Treatment 5.91 18.53 0.67% Communicable Illness Prevention/Treatment 2.29 3.27 0.26% CPCC Education Funding - Operations 20.39 20.39 2.32% Financial Management 27.16 41.13 3.09% IT Resource Management 13.41 15.67 1.52% Jails & Detention Facilities 34.86 58.33 3.97% Land Quality 0.00 15.89 0.00% Water Quality 0.82 7.84 0.09% Total Priority 2 $ 105.34 $ 183.39 11.99% Disability Prevention/Treatment 8.29 30.24 0.94% Diversity/Minority Affairs 0.22 0.22 0.02% Domestic Violence Protection/Prevention 2.13 2.35 0.24% Egov/Tech Investments 14.18 14.80 1.61% Homelessness Services 0.59 0.74 0.06% Legal Counsel 1.90 2.07 0.21% Library Services 26.42 26.87 3.00% Non-Communicable Illness Prevention/Treatment 30.55 39.29 3.48% Personal Responsibility/Self-Sufficiency 5.75 8.03 0.65% Transportation 1.39 40.22 0.15% Total Priority 3 $ 91.42 $ 164.84 10.41% Community Violence Protection/Prevention 11.17 25.48 1.27% Court Services Coordination 0.85 3.52 0.09% Employee Resource Management 15.52 17.93 1.77% Greenway Planning & Development 0.00 0.00 0.00% Land, Property, Records (3.53) 9.89-0.40% Park, Fields, & Recreation Centers 18.46 18.94 2.10% Property & Asset Management 26.90 27.39 3.06% Voting Services 2.00 3.06 0.22% Total Priority 4 $ 71.37 $ 106.22 8.13% Economic Development 0.53 0.53 0.06% Historical Preservation 0.24 0.32 0.03% Nature Preserves & Open Space 1.93 2.06 0.22% Public/Employee Communications 4.79 5.25 0.54% Real Estate Purchasing 0.01 0.01 0.00% Recreation & Leisure Programs 2.57 3.69 0.29% Regional Planning 1.49 1.49 0.17% Total Priority 5 $ 11.57 $ 13.35 1.32% Advisory Committee 0.04.06 0.00% Aquatic Services 0.94 2.12 0.11% Athletic Services 1.06 1.31 0.12% Morgue & Medical Examiner 0.50 0.98 0.06% Partnership/Underwriting Development 0.12 0.19 0.01% Personal Responsibility/Self-Sufficiency 1.06 1.23 0.12% Total Priority 6 $ 3.72 $ 5.89.42% County Education Services 0.82 0.84 0.09% Job Training/Employment Assistance 0.06 0.12 0.00% Personal Injury Prevention/Protection 0.06 0.06 0.00% Total Priority 7 $ 0.94 $ 1.02.11% Total Funding $ 877.99 $ 1,235.51 100%
2005-2006 Mecklenburg County Budget in Brief 2005-2006 City of Charlotte Budget in Brief (County Dollar) Total Revenue $887,995,855 www.4citizenhelp.com Sales Tax - Unclassified $146,602,055 16.7% $5,493,119 0.6% Fund Balance $11,334,930 1.3% Investment Interest $5,250,000 0.6% Total Revenue $1,416,780,908 http://citybudget.charmeck.org User Fees & Other $106,209,730 7.5% Charges for Service/fees $89,625,000 6.3% Storm Water $62,043,724 $415,562,025 29.3% Net Property Taxes - Prior $12,760,000 1.5% Aviation $209,800,495 14.8% Net Property Taxes - Current $696,555,751 79.3% Public Transit $214,764,421 15.2% Water & Sewer $318,775,513 22.5% Education Services $413,371,336 Community Health & Safety 135,943,229 Social, Education & Economic 102,339,237 Effective & Efficient Government 102,294,988 General Debt Service 94,117,469 Growth Management & Environment 29,929,596 Total Budget $887,995,855 3.4% 11.7% 11.6% 10.7% 15.5% 47.1% FY2006 Mecklenburg County Tax Rate $.8368 per $100 of assessed value ($1.0136 for Unincorporated Areas). For more details about the FY06 Budget go to www.4citizenhelp.com Water/Sewer $318,775,513 Public Safety 258,868,250 Public Transit (CATS) 214,764,421 Public Works 213,355,181 Aviation 209,800,495 General Government 77,020,267 Economic Development 62,153,057 Stm Water 62,043,724 Total Budget $1,416,780,908 FY2006 City of Charlotte Tax Rate is $.42 per $100 of assessed value ($1.2568 combined with Mecklenburg County rate) Tax Rate Breakdown General Fund $0.3570 Debt Payments $0.0470 Pay-As-You-Go $0.0160 Total City Tax Rate $0.4200 5.4% 18.3% 15.1% 15.1% 14.8% Municipal Tax Districts District 1 Tax Rate $.0174 District 2 Tax Rate $.0298 District 3 Tax Rate $.0445 District 4 Tax Rate $.0668 District 5 Tax Rate $.0300 (To determine the total tax rate for districts 2 and 3, add the rate for district 1). 22.5%
2005-2006 Town of Cornelius Budget in Brief 2005-2006 Town of Pineville Budget in Brief Total Revenue $15,419,269 Appr Fund Balance $2,130,286 13.9% Shared Revenues $3,010,685 19.5% Total Revenue $7,023,653.00 Grants, Loans, Investments $60,000 1% Storm Water $325,000 5% Powell Bill $165,150 2% 911 System $60,000 1% www.cornelius.org Charges for Service/Fees $1,083,195 7% www.pinevillenc.net $1,001,233 14% Property Tax $8,095,000 52.5% Powell Bill Funds $445,000 2.9% $374,000 2.4% Police/Public safety $3,796,537 $11,800.1% Grants/Loans/ Investments $269,303 1.8% 24.6% & Licenses $2,058,500 29% $3,353,770 48% Debt Serice/Capital 3,048,292 19.8% Public Safety $ 3,810,496.00 54.3% General Services 2,508,610 Admin/General Government 1,374,508 Solid Waste 1,225,000 Parks and Recreation 1,131,340 Trans to cap 1,000,000 Planning 491,219 Tourism/Culture 488,063 Powell 203,925 Storm Water 82,443 3.2% 3.1% 1.3% 0.5% 6.5% 8% 7.3% 9% 16.3% FY2006 Cornelius Tax Rate $.26 per $100 of assessed value ($1.0968 combined with Public Works 883,250.00 Government/Administration 779,777.00 Tourism\Culture 576,000.00 Parks\Recreation 397,130.00 Storm Water 325,000.00 Sanitation 232,000.00 Other 20,000.00 Total $7,023,653.00.3% 5.7% 4.6% 3.3% 8.2% 12.5% 11.1% FY2006 Pineville Tax Rate $.30 per $100 of assessed value ($1.1368 combined with Governing Board 69,332 0.4% Total Budget $15,419,269
2005-2006 Town of Mint Hill Budget in Brief 2005-2006 Town of Davidson Budget in Brief Total Revenue $7,103,789 www.minthill.com Water/Sewer Bond $749,276 10.6% Other Shared Revenue $1,190,000 16.8% Restricted Revenue $57,750 0.8% $295,000 4.2% Property Tax $4,136,513 58.2% Total Revenue $7,395,358 www.ci.davidson.nc.us Grants, Loans, Interest $912,583 12.3% $803,364 10.9% Powell Bill $246,500 3.3% Charges for Service/fees $252,000 3.4% State Shared Revenue $510,250 7.1% Vehicle Fee $165,000 2.3% $1,605,300 21.7% $3,575,611 48.4% Police/Public Safety $2,097,174 29.5% Streets/Cemetary $1,963,313 26.6% Solid Waste 1,325,000 18.7% Police/Public Safety 1,552,854 21% Water and Sewer 749,276 10.5% Parks and Rec 1,045,730 14.1% Other 740,895 10.4% Admin/Gen Govnt 646,547 8.8% Streets/Transp 565,362 8% Solid Waste 459,250 6.2% Fire/rescue 494,656 7% Planning 423,648 5.7% Admin/Gen Govnt 451,041 6.3% Other 403,826 5.5% Park and Rec 385,810 Planning 260,009 Gov Board 29,066 Elections 5,500 Total Budget $7,103,789 5.4% 3.7% 0.4% 0.1% FY2006 Mint Hill Tax Rate $.275 per $100 of assessed value ($1.1118 combined with Building and Grounds 325,490 Powell 246,500 Fire/Rescue 208,600 Gov Board 119,600 Total Budget $7,395,358 3.3% 2.8% 1.6% FY2006 Davidson Tax Rate $.345 per $100 of assessed value ($1.1818 combined with Mecklenburg County rate). Davidson Municipal tax district $.14
2005-2006 Town of Huntersville Budget in Brief 2005-2006 Town of Matthews Budget in Brief Total Revenue $18,464,787 www.huntersville.org Powell $870,000 4.7% $5,008,500 27.1% Storm Water $340,000 1.8% $414,396 2.3% Total Revenue $16,020,681 www.matthewsnc.com 2,671,907 16.7% 3,461,812 21.6% Property Taxes $7,862,979 49.1% Grants, Loans, Interest $1,116,662 6.1% Police/Public Safety $ 5,613,082 Public Works 3,094,590 Parks & Recreation 2,303,954 Administration/Gen Govnt 1,536,174 Debt Service/Capital Projects 1,351,185 Fire/Rescue 998,232 Powell 870,000 Planning 739,349 Tourism/Culture 690,000 Storm Water 340,000 Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics 297,504 Other 247,696 Governing Board 239,546 Charges for service/fees $280,229 1.5% 1.8% 1.6% 1.3% 1.3% 4.7% 4.0% 3.7% 5.4% 12.6% 8.3% 7.3% 16.8% $10,435,000 56.5% FY2006 Huntersville Tax Rate $.28 per $100 of assessed value ($1.1168 combined with 30.4% Water/Sewer Bond (CMUD) 636,625 4% Police/Public Safety $6,070,773 Debt Service 2,141,762 Public Works 1,537,376 Solid Waste/Sanitation 1,463,500 Administration/General Govnt 1,394,823 Streets/Transportation 1,094,623 Tourism/Cultural Arts 977,204 Storm Water 647,358 Planning 393,057 Parks & Recreation 300,205 Total Budget $16,020,681 Powell Bill Funds 740,000 4.6% 2.5% 1.9% 4.0% 6.8% 6.1% 9.6% 9.1% 8.7% Storm Water Funds 647,358 4.0% 13.4% 37.9% FY2006 Matthews Tax Rate $.3075 per $100 of assessed value ($1.1443 combined with Streets/transportation 143,475 TOTAL $ 18,464,787 0.8%