Goldsboro ranks as one of lowest for tax burden in state
By Catharin Shepard
Published in News on March 19, 2009 1:46 PM
Goldsboro citizens carry a lower tax burden than people in 28 other similar-sized cities in North Carolina, according to a February report from the John Locke Foundation.
Goldsboro ranked 29th among municipalities with 25,000 or more residents, placing it in the lower burden, lower quartile of the ranking. Local revenues per capita were $1,371.85, while the property tax burden was $747.41 and the sales tax burden per capita came in at $357.97.
City Manager Joe Huffman said he is glad the city is able to keep down the fiscal burden placed on citizens.
"I think it's a really good sign in tough economic times," he said.
Goldsboro ranked lower than cities such as Fay-etteville, Asheville, Chapel Hill, Cary and Wilmington. Charlotte was at the top of the list with a $2,636.67 revenue per capita income, $1,388.03 property tax burden per capita and $524.55 sales tax per capita burden, while Jacksonville in Onslow County had the lowest tax burden of similar-sized cities. Residents in Jacksonville have a $1,129.34 revenue, $513.04 property tax burden per capita and $367.06 sales tax burden.
But the report is somewhat mixed.
Although Goldsboro has one of the lowest tax burdens among similar-sized cities, it ranked near the top in government revenue growth.
From 2002 to 2007, the city government revenue grew 23 percent, making Goldsboro seventh in the state for such growth.
According to the Found-tion report, a family of four would have needed $1,114 to keep up with the government costs from 2002 to 2007.