More About Taxes

For many residents of Lincoln, Catawba, and Gaston counties, the property tax bill you receive this July will be substantially more. Revaluation was done this year in Lincoln, Catawba and Gaston. Cleveland County was told by the state it would have to do another revaluation when the values it was using for tax purposes from the 2021 revaluation fell far below true market values for properties. That revaluation will be done in 2025.

North Carolina counties are required to do revaluations for tax purposes at least every eight years, but most do it every four.  The state also requires that the values used for computing property taxes must be 85% of the true value or the state will require a revaluation to bring them back in line.  

Commissioners in Lincoln and Catawba have approved their fiscal 2024 budgets, both showing reductions in the county's property tax rate. Gaston County Commissioners also approved their budget and the regular County tax rate--but Commissioners will decide on the Gaston County fire tax rate at their meeting this Tuesday evening (June 13th).

Of course, in addition to the County property tax, residents of towns will have to pay a city property tax, which in most cases also saw a reduction in the rate, but thanks to revaluation, will likely mean a higher tax bill.

In Lincoln County, fire districts will have a fire tax rate that is either the same or in some cases less than a year ago.

Lincoln County Fire District Taxes Fiscal 2024
(per $100 valuation)
Alexis 10.65 (down from 11.65 last yr)
Boger City 12.50
Crouse 8.60
East Lincoln 10.24 (down from 12.00 last yr)
Howard's Creek 13.55
North 321 9.00
North Brook 9.50 (down from 10.00 last yr)
Pumpkin Center 10.50 (down from 12.00 last yr)
South Fork 12.50
Union 12.50

The fire district tax will be added to your County tax bill by adding the fire district tax to the 49.9 cents regular County tax.

In Catawba County, every fire district's fire tax rate was reduced (see chart).

Those who live in towns or cities will also have a municipal property tax.

In Lincolnton, the city tax rate will be reduced from 56¢ to 50¢.

Gastonia lowered its rate to 47 cents (down 5¢ from a year ago).
Stanley's rate will be reduced from 54¢ last year to 49¢.
High Shoals Council has approved a tax rate of 32¢ (down from 38¢ last yr). The final hearing on the budget will be Tuesday evening at 6:30 at city hall.
Cherryville will hold its public hearing on the proposed town budget at 6 PM Monday (June 12th) at 6 PM at the Community Building. The proposed budget will lower the tax rate from 52¢ to 48¢.
Bessemer City is maintaining its 2022 tax rate of 45¢.
Shelby's tax rate will be 51.75¢ (no change).
Hickory set its tax rate at the revenue neutral 45.5¢ (down from 62.75¢). 
Newton's rate will be 50¢ (down 4¢ from last yr).
Maiden will maintain its 38¢ tax rate. City Manager Todd Herms said revaluation increase values in Maiden far less than in some other parts of Catawba County. "We're also lowering the trash pickup fee, so Maiden residents will save $120 or more annually on that. Inflation has cost us like everybody else and building projects are double what they were just a couple of years ago. Our fire department is going to be about $8 million instead of four."

The regular County tax rates for Lincoln, Catawba, Gaston and Cleveland counties have all been set. In Lincoln County, the rate drops from 61.9 cents per hundred dollars valuation to 49.9 cents. In Gaston County, the rate was dropped from 81 cents to 60 cents. In Catawba County, the rate was lowered from 57.5¢ to 39.85¢. In both Gaston and Catawba, the new tax rate was lower than a 'revenue neutral' rate. In Gaston, a revenue neutral rate (producing the same money from property taxes as the previous year) would have been 62.1¢; in Catawa County, the 'revenue neutral' rate would have been 39.95¢. Cleveland County, which didn't have a revaluation this year, will have the same 54.75¢ rate as last year.