Letter to the editor: Raine Tyndall - Kinson is a beautiful place to live, needs to be an affordable
*Editors Note: This letter to the editor was a citizen comment submitted online at the most recent city council meeting.
Good evening,
Mayor and members of the Council. My name is Raine Tyndall. I’m speaking for the homeowners, the retirees on fixed incomes, and the working families of Kinston who are struggling under the weight of our current property taxes. Last year, many of us saw our tax bills skyrocket. While the city technically lowered the rate to 73 cents, the reality is that because of soaring property values, our actual out-of-pocket costs rose significantly. For many of us, that "break" wasn't a break at all—it was a hike we simply cannot sustain.
We all understand that running a city requires revenue. But there has to be a balance. Right now, the scale is tipped too far against the taxpayer. When you combine our city rate with the county’s 67.5-cent rate, Kinston residents are looking at a combined tax burden of roughly $1.40 per $100 of value.
In a city where the median home value is rising, a "revenue-neutral" approach should have been the floor, not the ceiling. Instead, we are paying for a budget that has grown faster than many of our paychecks. High taxes don’t just hurt homeowners; they drive up rents for our most vulnerable neighbors and discourage new businesses from investing in our downtown.
Tonight, I am asking this Council to commit to a meaningful reduction for the upcoming fiscal year. Specifically, we are asking for the property tax rate to be lowered to 55 cents.
A 55-cent rate would provide the immediate "breather" that Kinstonians need. It would signal to the people who live here that you recognize their struggle. It would show that you are willing to look at the budget with a critical eye—to find efficiencies and prioritize essential services over "nice-to-haves"—until our residents are back on stable ground.
Kinston is a beautiful place to live, but it needs to be an affordable place to live, too. Please, give us the relief we need to stay in our homes and keep our community thriving.
Raine Tyndall
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