Taxation & Economy
Property tax levy limits aren’t budget cuts
At a time when property tax bills are rising across North Carolina, policymakers have proposed a constitutional amendment to limit how quickly those taxes can grow. However, critics warn that such limits could reduce…
Is North Carolina addicted to federal funds?
Last summer, I argued that North Carolina’s growing dependence on federal funding posed a long-term fiscal risk to the state — one that would only become clearer as Washington continued its debt spiral. Unfortunately, that…
New revenue projection shows surplus, revenue triggers prompting tax cuts likely to be met
Yesterday the Fiscal Research Division, along with the state budget office, released its updated revenue projections for the remainder of the current fiscal year and next year. Revenue projections are important because they…
How much is too much? An analysis of property tax revenue growth in the state’s most populous counties
As property tax bills have risen rapidly across the state, property tax reform has moved to the forefront at the General Assembly. Among the policy options under consideration are levy limits, which restrict the annual growth…
Stein announces top spending priorities before the fiscal year ends
Last year, North Carolina was the only state expected to pass a budget that failed to do so. In fact, the General Assembly never even sent a budget proposal to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk. One of the most contentious issues during…
North Carolina Medicaid after the OBBB: Policy prescriptions
In a previous article, I documented how total Medicaid expenditures in North Carolina surged from $18.14 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2021 to $35.77 billion in FY 2025 — a staggering 97.2 percent increase in just four years.…
Not all property tax levy limits are created equal
As the debate in North Carolina over how best to address property tax reform unfolds, levy limits are likely to take center stage as a viable policy option. Levy limits restrict the annual growth of total property tax…
Growth, Scarcity, and the Case for Deregulation
North Carolina enters 2025 with a housing market that is often described as “relatively affordable,” especially when compared to coastal states or Sun Belt peers like Florida and Arizona. But that framing masks a deeper and…
North Carolina designed a Medicaid program that it can’t afford
The North Carolina Medicaid program is on an unsustainable fiscal path. Data from state and national budget reports show that Medicaid expenditures have risen sharply, with growth evident across federal receipts, state…
Where are those manufacturing jobs we were promised?
Pres. Trump’s on-again, off-again, on-again tariff regime dominated the economic news in 2025. It was kicked off on April 2, a date Trump called “Liberation Day,” when the president announced his executive order imposing…
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