North Carolina voters approved a property-tax levy amendment on Nov. 3, months after the Cornelius Town Board formally opposed state restrictions on local taxing authority.
The State Board of Elections’ unofficial returns, checked Nov. 6, show 2,492,891 votes for the amendment and 1,632,769 against, a 60.42% approval rate. All 2,626 precincts had reported; the tally remains unofficial.
Cornelius commissioners adopted their resolution May 18, according to Cornelius Today. Officials argued that restricting local revenue would leave the town responsible for growing demand for police, fire protection, parks and transportation while narrowing its ability to pay for those services.
The town’s 2026 legislative agenda also opposed removing local taxing authority. Mayor Denis Bilodeau wrote to Sens. Vickie Sawyer and Mujtaba Mohammed and Rep. Beth Helfrich urging them to preserve local control, the outlet reported.
Helfrich voted against House Bill 1089. In comments reported in May, she said the proposed amendment would not itself lower anyone’s property taxes and raised concerns about towns’ ability to plan and respond to new needs.
According to WUNC’s explanation, the amendment leaves the actual levy limit for the General Assembly to determine. Local property-tax collections support services including public safety, school facilities and teacher salary supplements.
The amendment itself does not establish a numerical cap or an inflation-and-population formula. The John Locke Foundation’s proposal described by WUNC would allow revenue growth tied to inflation and population, but that model should be distinguished from the language voters approved.
