This holiday season reached for the one butter that never disappoints Kerry Gold. made with milk from grass fed cows on Irish family farms, it's rich, creamy, and perfect for baking. whether browning butter for cookies or crafting the flakiest pie crust, Kerry Gold's high butterfat content makes all the difference in flavor and texture. Holiday treats will taste extraordinary. It's 5.05 and welcome in to a Tuesday edition of the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk 1110-993 WBT.
I'm Nick Craig. Good morning to you. We are continuing our coverage this morning of a stabbing on the Charlotte light rail that happened on Friday as the individual arrested in that stabbing attempt or attempted murder is a 33-year-old Oscar Solanzano Garcia. He made a first appearance in a courtroom in Charlotte yesterday. The judge in that case, Keith Smith, ordered us that the individual will remain in jail without bond after that first appearance on Monday.
He is, of course, accused of stabbing a 24-year-old in the chest on Friday on the Charlotte light rail. This would be the second high-profile act of violence on the Charlotte Lightrail in the span of just about three months. Of course, going back three months ago, we were talking about Irina Zaruska. That's the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was brutally murdered on the light rail. According to the DA's office, Solenzeno Garcia was drinking alcohol on the light rail when he started yelling at passengers.
The victim in this case tried to tell him to stop and leave everybody alone, trying to step in and be a good Samaritan. The DA's office said that, well, that did not stop anything more. He walked up to the victim, started yelling. The victim told him to back away. He refused to do so.
That's when the DA's office notes that the victim pushed the 33-year-old individual. He got up from being pushed, pulled out a knife, and stabbed him in the chest. That is exactly the situation that went down. Of course, the twist in this story: Oscar Solenzeno Garcia, the 33-year-old, is a twice-deported illegal immigrant from Honduras. He had come into the country illegally at least two different times.
Being deported by both the Trump and Biden administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security, those officials confirming those details to Fox News. This is once again a major story that is bringing Charlotte public safety into the limelight, not only across the state of North Carolina, but picking up some national attention as well. As we heard from President Donald Trump over the last couple of days, he chimed in on the situation. Over the weekend, in almost the immediate aftermath of this story, asking what is going on in Charlotte. His post exactly: another stabbing by an illegal migrant in Charlotte, North Carolina.
What is going on in Charlotte? Democrats are destroying it like everything else, piece by piece. That was the statement from President Donald Trump on his truth social platform on Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, when this started getting working its way around the national news cycle. We will continue tracking this as we get additional details. But for right now, a first appearance has been made, and the 33-year-old assailant in this case, Oscar Solenzano.
Garcia will remain in jail without bond. Also, learning details this morning that there has been an ice detainer placed on him. That has been a hot topic of conversation in North Carolina over the last couple of years as well. We'll continue our coverage over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. And of course, as we get additional details and information, we'll pass it along to you right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
In some other statewide news this morning, pretty significant story we're tracking this morning as North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall. Has announced the creation of the House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform. This 23-member committee is tasked with reviewing factors that contribute to rising local property taxes and identifying ways to reduce the burden on homeowners across the Tarheel State. The committee will examine relief programs, county reevaluation practices, constitutional flexibility for local governments as well as local spending and debt trends that affect property tax assessments across the state. Recommendations and potential legislation are expected ahead of the 2026 short session as we flip the calendar over here in just a couple of weeks.
Four bills designed to reduce some property tax burdens, however, were introduced in the last legislative session.
However, none of them passed the legislature. The House did pass House Bill 432 unanimously in April. That was to study property tax relief, but it was never taken up by the Senate.
So only going through one chamber, obviously that does not become law.
So House Speaker Destin Hall has formed this committee. Joseph Harris, who is the senior John Locke Foundation fiscal analyst, said, quote, the committee's priorities should be to shine a light on how rising property tax bills are squeezing North Carolina families. In many counties, valuations have grown much faster than inflation and income, and some local governments have used that windfall to expand spending beyond basic growth needs. Once the problem is illuminated, the challenge will be creating reforms that deliver real relief for taxpayers while maintaining appropriate local government flexibility. Striking that balance is essential if North Carolina is going to keep spending in check while still preserving local governments' abilities to raise revenue.
Back in April, Harris pointed out in a post over at the John Locke Foundation website that North Carolina has home values that have skyrocketed by a whopping 67.1% over the last five years, which has created massive concerns amongst homeowners about the affordability on their property tax bills that they get every year from their county and cities. He outlined the state's available property tax relief programs, which includes the homestead exclusion program and the circuit breaker deferment program.
However, the challenges that are remaining in some homeowners Are still facing issues despite some of these state relief efforts. According to the co-chair of this brand new committee, just announced on Monday, Julia Howard, the Republican from Davie County, said, I know how hard North Carolina families work to build stability in the home, and they shouldn't be hit with out-of-the-blue property tax spikes that threaten that. That's why I'm proud to help lead this committee by thoroughly reviewing our state's property tax system. We'll deliver practical common sense reforms that give homeowners relief, fairness, and the transparency that they deserve. One of the other co-chairs of this new committee in the North Carolina House, Michael Schetzel, he is the Republican from Catawba County.
He is a co-chair of that as well. And he says that North Carolinians are concerned about affordability of owning a home, and they deserve a solution that works for them while at the same time being fair to local governments. As I mentioned, that this is a 23-member committee, bipartisan in nature as well. Both Democrats and Republicans, a couple of the local representatives from the Charlotte metro area, Representative Tricia Cotham, she the Republican out of Mecklenburg County. Carla Cunningham, also on that committee as well.
She's also out of Mecklenburg County, a Democrat there.
Some other individuals, including Becky Carney, another Democrat out of Mecklenburg County, Francis Jackson, another Democrat out of Mecklenburg County as well.
So some both Republicans and Democrats across the state of North Carolina will be sitting on this committee as they continue to work through some property tax relief for North Carolina taxpayers. A recent study from the Tax Foundation ranked North Carolina as the 36th highest in property taxes in the nation, with Northampton County having the highest property tax in the state and Jackson County having the highest property. Having the lowest property tax burden. Their report found that in fiscal year 2022, property taxes comprised of 27.4% of total state and local tax collections in the United States. That's more than any other source of tax revenue.
According to one of the other co-chairs, Aaron Perre, the Republican out of Wake County, she said in the announcement of this committee: out-of-control property taxes is an affordability issue. High property taxes can make home ownership out of reach for hardworking North Carolinians and force seniors on fixed incomes out of their homes because they cannot afford skyrocketing property taxes. This new committee will work to deliver responsible reforms that balance homeowner affordability with local government abilities to meet community needs. This is obviously a pretty big challenge across the state. You're seeing in many areas property tax rates going up big time due to the fact that property values in some cases have soared as much as 50, 60, even 70 percent in some cases over the span of just about five years.
So, this is incredibly relevant across the state from the Tennessee border. All the way to the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia, to South Carolina. We will keep an eye on this new 23-member committee. And as soon as they have their first meeting, we'll continue to track it and provide the details to you. What comes of that over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com, and right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
As the holidays approach, it's time to return to the classics. Flaky pie crusts, perfectly browned butter, and and cookies with just the right texture. and one ingredient you cannot compromise on is kerrygold butter. Carigold butter is crafted with milk from grass fed cows that graze on lush green pastures across family farms in Ireland. The result?
A rich, creamy butter with a high butterfat content that elevates every recipe. Whether you're making signature shortbread or browning butter for a nutty depth in your pecan pie, Carry gold makes all the difference. The flavor is unmatched, and the texture it brings to baked goods is simply divine.
So, this holiday season, if you're baking for loved ones or just for yourself, Reach for Kerry Gold. It's the butter of choice, and your pies, your cookies, and your cakes will thank you. It's 20 minutes past the hour. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk 1110, 99.3 WBT and some other statewide news this morning. Homeowners impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Have until December the 31st to apply for the Renew NC Housing Recovery Assistance Program. That's through the single-family housing program known as the FHHP. The Renew NC wants to help as many people in North Carolina as possible, according to Governor Josh Stein, saying, North Carolina homeowners will continue to recover from Hurricane Helene, but folks need to raise their hands so that we can get it done. Please spread the word so that your family, friends, and neighbors know that Renew NC may be an option to help them repair, reconstruct, or even replace their storm-damaged homes and get their applications in this month. The single-family housing program is administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce's Division of Community Revitalization.
That is the DCR, and it provides the four R's to owners of homes damaged by Helene. Those four R's are reimbursement, replacement, reconstruction, and rehabilitation. Since its launch in June, the program has received over 6,000 applications with five homes completed and several other projects underway right now in areas like Hendersonville, Black Mountain, and other communities. Of the five completed projects, two are mobile home replacements in Mill Springs, and the other three are home rehabilitations in Fairview, Fletcher, and Hendersonville, North Carolina. Three additional home reconstruction projects are slated to be completed by mid-December.
So here over the next couple of weeks, which will continue to boost those numbers. Low to moderate income families, including seniors 62 and older, children 18 and younger, and or disabled household members are prioritized by the program, which is open in 28 counties. Across the state of North Carolina. You can view all 28 of those counties. We've got the list over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com.
The DCR Deputy Secretary Stephanie McGrath said in a press release: our priority is to make sure every eligible homeowner knows that help is available and that applying is simple, accessible, and supported every step of the way. From our intake centers to door-to-door teams, Renew NC is committed to helping families rebuild stronger after Hurricane Helene. The program is open to homeowners who have already received assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or have their own home insurance policy, as the single-family housing program is designed to address needs that will remain when other forms of aid or all other forms of aid have been exhausted by homeowners in western North Carolina. The single-family housing program reports steady progress across its application intake. As of December the 1st, 68 signed agreements, grant agreements, had been placed, 63 projects had been assigned to general contractors, 13 projects had issued notices to be processed, and eight projects are currently under consideration.
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, that is HUD, funded and continues to fund the Renew NC programs through what is known as a Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery, or a CBDGDR grant. Nearly $1.4 billion was appropriated for recovery needs in western North Carolina from HUD, out of which $807 million was reported to Renew NC or set aside for Renew NC. You can check out the list of all 27 counties that are eligible, as well as all of the various information links and application details that you might need. Again, that deadline for individuals is December the 31st to apply for that housing program, those details. Over on our website this morning, CarolinaJournal.com, look for the headline story.
Housing recovery applications for Helene Victims close December 31. In some other statewide news this morning, North Carolinians are setting a new record for the amount of money wagered through legal online sports betting operators in the month of November, as that data has come in, as this sets the third straight month that betts in the state have set new records. In November, North Carolinians bet as much as $791.7 million in paid wagers with more than $813 million in total wagers throughout the entire month. That includes any bonus or promotional bets, according to the most recent figures released by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, which is the entity responsible for handling electronic sports wagering across North Carolina. These wages eclipse some of the other previous record-setting months.
October was $784.3 million as well.
So we are continuing to see a record individuals taking advantage of or taking part is probably the more accurate term to describe in this some of this electronic sports betting. That coincides, of course, with getting towards the end of the college football season, the peak in the middle of the NFL season here in North Carolina.
Now, this launched back in mid-March of 2024. It's been close to two years at this point, with betters having waged more than $11.3 billion in paid wagers throughout the nearly two-year span of this program in North Carolina, $12 billion in total wagers, and more than $10 billion, $10.7 billion to be exact, paid back in winnings to individuals across the state. This has been described even before it went into place in mid-March as a possibility for the state to collect some pretty significant tax revenue, and that is exactly what has happened thus far. North Carolina has collected more than $16.7 million in taxes from the state's eight illegal operators. That was just in the month of November, which is the second highest total since its launch.
In April of 2024, right after the program began, the state collected close to $19 million in taxes. Those amounts are pretty significant because those major operators pay an 18% tax on gross wagering revenues as calculated by the state.
So sports betting continues to be a major trend here in North Carolina. Seeing some record numbers of sports wagering over the last couple of months as we look at the months of September, October, and November going up each and every month. We'll get those December numbers probably coming up here. The first few weeks of January, if anything pops off the page there, any more record-breaking details or information, we'll pass it along to you right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour and continue our conversation. Coverage of that over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com.
As the holidays approach, it's time to return to the classics. Flaky pie crusts, perfectly browned butter, and cookies with just the right texture. and one ingredient you cannot compromise on is kerrygold butter. Carrygold butter is crafted with milk from grass-fed cows that graze on lush green pastures across family farms in Ireland. The result?
A rich, creamy butter with a high butterfat content that elevates every recipe. Whether you're making signature shortbread or browning butter for a nutty depth in your pecan pie, Terry Gold makes all the difference. The flavor is unmatched, and the texture it brings to baked goods is simply divine.
So, this holiday season, if you're baking for loved ones or just for yourself, Reach for Kerry Gold. It's the butter of choice, and your pies, your cookies, and your cakes will thank you. Right. It's 5:34 on WBT. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour.
We are continuing our coverage this morning of a pretty big story that broke a Friday afternoon, Friday evening in Charlotte. This was more violence aboard the Charlotte Light Rail just about three months or so after 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Irina Zaruska was brutally murdered on the public transportation system throughout Mecklenburg County and the city of Charlotte. This morning, we are tracking a first court appearance for an individual by the name of 33-year-old Oscar Solenzano Garcia. He is an illegal immigrant from Honduras that was deported from the country at least two times. He will remain in jail this morning without bond after he made his first court appearance in front of Judge Keith Smith yesterday in Mecklenburg County.
He is accused of stabbing a 24-year-old in the chest on the light rail shortly before 5 p.m. Friday night. According to the district attorney's office in Mecklenburg County, the 33-year-old was drinking alcohol on the light rail when he started yelling at passengers. The victim in this case asked him to stop drinking, asked him to stop harassing individuals on the train. They got into a verbal altercation.
Which leaded to the victim in this case pushing him back. He then got up from being pushed back, pulled out a knife, and stabbed this 24-year-old in the chest on the Charlotte light rail. That, of course, caused the situation to escalate in a pretty dramatic fashion. And as we are reporting this morning, the 33-year-old in Oscar Solenzano Garcia will remain in jail without bond. There has been an ICE detainer that has been placed on him as well.
That's from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And we will track the next court appearance as increased scrutiny does remain on Katz, the Charlotte area transportation system, the Charlotte City Council, the Mecklenburg County Commission over growing violence on public transportation in the greater Charlotte metro area. We've got additional coverage of that this morning, including the reaction from individuals like President Donald Trump, Josh Stein, and others. Those details this morning on our website, CarolinaJournal.com, where it's now 5:30. You're listening to the Carolina Journal News Hour.
For those that follow North Carolina business news pretty closely, you'll be well aware that agriculture still is the largest business sector in the state of North Carolina. It is a major, massive boost to our state's economy year in and year out, and for a variety of different reasons, whether it's tariffs, natural disasters, or just other economic pressures, the agricultural industry has been hit pretty hard over the last couple of years. This has prompted a response from the Trump administration, essentially some sort of farm bailout. To get some additional details on that this morning, Katie ZenderCarolinaJournal.com joins us on the news hour. Katie, this is incredibly relevant here in North Carolina as agriculture is such big business.
What are you learning out of Washington, D.C.? Hi, good morning Nick. Thank you for having me on. Yeah, so this afternoon President Trump made the announcement that there's going to be a $12 billion bailout issued to American farmers because of the tariff policies that have caused a lot of repercussions and significantly impacted American farmers. They've had to take a big hit into an already very, you know, farming is not an easy industry.
You're usually just barely making ends meet for a lot of farmers to begin with. And then when you add in the impact of the financial impact of the tariffs as well, that causes a big hit to a lot of farmers.
So Trump is issuing these bailouts because of that. And as we've discussed before, Nick, agriculture is the number one state in the industry, generating $111 billion in annual revenue. And we've been following the impact of tariffs over the last eight, ten months or so since April, and they've had a significant impact on some of our biggest commodities here. Tobacco, sweet potatoes, we're the largest exporter of sweet potatoes, even on an international market. And soybeans, one of our state's largest agricultural commodities, has really come into the spotlight in the last couple of months as well, especially with the trade deal.
So yeah, this is going to be super important to North Carolina farmers.
Well, and Katie, I guess it would not be accurate to say that this is unprecedented. We saw something similar back in 2018. And while the Trump 1.0 administration, the tariffs weren't immediately as striking as what we've seen over the last 10 or 11 months, we did see a similar bailout. Actually, it was a much larger one back in the first Trump administration.
So this seems to be pretty par for the course with this administration. That's exactly right, Nick. And yeah, like you said, they had a much bigger bailout back in 2018 during the first term, and that was $23 billion.
So this bailout is just a little bit more than half of that.
So I don't know if maybe we'll see another bailout coming later down the pipeline because this has had such a greater impact than the impacts of the first term on American farmers. But yeah, so the majority of that bailout, $11 billion, is supposed to come through one-time payments through a new program under the USDA that has been created to kind of issue these payments to farmers. And it's called the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, which is mainly designed to assist crop farmers, which have taken a big hit, especially, as I mentioned, soybeans, corn, cotton. Those are all big commodities here in North Carolina. They're all in the top five for cash crops.
And then the remaining $1 billion will go for commodities that are not covered under the Bridge Assistance Program.
So, you know, pork is a big deal here. Poultry is a big deal here, so anything that doesn't fall under crop farmers. I believe tobacco would fall under that. I think sweet potatoes would fall under that.
Soybeans definitely fall under that. But yeah, and like I said earlier, like North Carolina farmers have been going through a lot in the last couple of years with Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Chantal, and then, of course, the tariffs.
So they've been kind of been hit from all sides, and especially the soybean farmers, because back in April we saw China cutting their exports. They're the number one buyer of U.S.
soybeans. And soybeans are in the top five cash crops here in North Carolina.
So that's really hit North Carolina really hard. And so these bailouts are going to be really crucial to helping these farmers kind of stay afloat financially and be able to pay some of those bills and things.
Well, and Katie, I think many folks are maybe scratching their head and wondering this morning. The administration is noting, and one of the reasons for the justification for this very massive bailout to farmers, not only here across North Carolina, but across the country, is the impact that tariffs have had specifically on the agricultural industry. Katie, is it fair to ask if we know that tariffs are having such a negative impact, why do we continue to move forward with them if we know there's such an adverse effect on a very critical industry for many states across the country? That's exactly right, Nick. That's a very fair question that we should be asking.
And it's something that we've really been pushing and hitting hard here at the Carolina Journal and the John Locke Foundation with this kind of You know reporting that we that I've been doing over the last you know eight ten months or whatever it's been on the impact of agricult of tariffs on the agricultural industry And we're actually showing this is how you know, this is how it's actually impacting American farmers, which is ultimately going to have an impact on consumers when they pay prices at the grocery store.
So yeah, that's a great question is you know, I don't know why President Trump continues to insist upon you know moving forward with this when it's clearly having a negative impact. But yeah, hopefully there's some experts that have really questioned the stability of the trade deal with China because you know China has agreed to increase and re-up their exports of U.S.
soybeans here over the next three years. They're supposed to return to, quote, regular levels. But right after that, we saw China continue to increase their exports from Brazil as Brazil lowered their soybean prices in response to the trade agreement.
So we'll see what happens here. And like I said, China is the top buyer of U.S.
soybeans. So it's a very important commodity here in North Carolina. And I got to speak with Commissioner Steve Troxler. He's the commissioner of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. He said, we are certainly very appreciative that more federal aid is coming for farmers.
The farm economy is in the tank, especially for our major commodities. And we still don't have a farm bill.
So everything that can be done needs to be done. He also said that he had recently spoken with a cotton farmer. who is harvesting one of the best crops he's ever had and was losing $700 an acre due to the tariffs. Obviously, that's a pretty substantial amount there. And, Katie, we're obviously focusing on and talking a lot about the tariffs as that has had a huge impact.
But you've also mentioned Mother Nature plays a role in this as well. You don't get to predict or choose whether a storm hits you or not. It was a little over a year ago that we saw some of the devastation from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, some tropical storms this year. You roll the calendar back a couple of years. You're talking about Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
Farmers, especially these small to medium-sized farmers, which we've been talking about over the last six or eight months, these people and these small family farms have been hit especially hard. As you noted, their margins are already incredibly low. Throw natural disasters and tariffs on top of it. I would assume, Katie, many of them are struggling to keep their heads above water. That's exactly right, Nick.
Yeah, so a lot of farmers in North Carolina are small to mid-sized farmers. They're not necessarily the bigger corporate farms, although we do have some of those as well. But yeah, so they are really struggling because, you know, they've been hit on all sides, you know, by Hurricane Helene, by Hurricane Chantal, even by some of the Hurricane Matthew and Florence, as you had mentioned.
So, and then you add tariffs on top of that. It's having a huge impact on their margins, which they don't already have a large margin to begin with. And so, these bailouts are going to be a huge relief to them. In the last couple of months, we've also seen farmers can apply for natural disaster relief as well.
So, that's going to be super helpful to them as well. But, yeah, so hopefully, these bailouts will kind of get these farmers back on their feet or kind of help them pay off some of those bills and et cetera, that they've really come to accumulate over the last couple of years with everything that they have been really hit hard by because this has been hitting every industry, especially in North Carolina. Know Christmas tree farmers, apple farmers, and that has an impact nationwide. Like, we're one of the top exporters of Christmas trees, I believe. The White House Christmas tree has come from North Carolina the last couple of years as well, so that's a huge industry here as well.
Katie, you've got a lot of additional coverage of this announcement from the Trump administration on Monday. Where can folks go and get those details this morning? Right, Nick, they can read the full article with all the details at CarolinaJournal.com. We appreciate the update this morning. Katie Zender joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
As the holidays approach, it's time to return to the classics. Flaky pie crusts, perfectly browned butter, and and cookies with just the right texture. and one ingredient you cannot compromise on is kerrygold butter. Carigold butter is crafted with milk from grass fed cows that graze on lush green pastures across family farms in Ireland. The result?
A rich, creamy butter with a high butterfat content that elevates every recipe. Whether you're making signature shortbread or browning butter for a nutty depth in your pecan pie, Carry gold makes all the difference. The flavor is unmatched, and the texture it brings to baked goods is simply divine.
So, this holiday season, if you're baking for loved ones or just for yourself, Reach for carry gold. It's the butter of choice, and your pies, your cookies, and your cakes will thank you. Good morning again. It's 553. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk 1110-993 WBT.
Coming up Thursday morning, you'll be able to hear us in a crystal clear, high definition on 107.9 FM as we make our transition to Charlotte's FM News Talk. Look forward to joining us Thursday morning right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour. In some statewide news this morning, North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall has announced the creation of the House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform. The 23-member committee is tasked with reviewing factors that contribute to rising local property taxes, as well as identifying ways to reduce the burden on homeowners. This committee will examine existing relief programs, county reevaluation practices, some of the constitutional flexibilities for local governments, as well as local.
spending and debt trends that affect property tax assessments. All of the recommendations and some potential legislation from this committee are expected ahead of the 2026 short session from the GA, and we'll watch and see what comes of this committee. I will note that four bills designed to reduce some property tax burdens were introduced in this current legislative session, but none passed through the legislature. For example, the House Bill 432 was unanimously voted on and approved by the North Carolina House back in April. That was to study property tax relief, but it was never taken up by the North Carolina Senate.
Joseph Harris, who is a fiscal analyst, a policy analyst over at the John Locke Foundation, said, quote, the committee's priorities should be to shine a light on how rising property tax bills are squeezing North Carolina families. In many counties, valuations have grown much faster than inflation and income, and some local governments have used that windfall to expand spending beyond basic growth needs. Once the problem is illuminated, the challenge will be crafting reforms that deliver real relief for taxpayers while maintaining appropriate local government flexibility. Striking that balance is essential if North Carolina is going to keep local spending in check while still preserving local government's abilities to raise revenues. In an April post by Harris, he pointed out that North Carolina home values have skyrocketed in some cases by as much as 67.1 percent over the last five years, creating massive concern among homeowners about affordability of their property tax bill that rolls in from the county or the city you live in each year.
He outlined the state's available property tax relief programs like the Homestead Exclusion Program or Circuit Breaker Deferment.
However, with some of those programs in place, many folks are still feeling the pinch and the pressure for their yearly property tax bill. One of the co chairs of the committee, Julia Howard, who is the Republican from Davie County, said in the announcement of the committee, I know how hard North Carolina families work to build stability in the home, and they shouldn't be hit with out of the blue property tax spikes that threaten that. That is why I am proud to help lead this committee. By thoroughly reviewing our state's property tax system, we'll deliver practical, common sense reforms that give homeowners the relief, fairness and transparency that they deserve. Michael Schietzel, who is the Republican from Catawba County, also a co-chair of the committee, said that North Carolinians are concerned about the affordability of owning a home, and they deserve a solution that works for them while being fair to local governments.
This is a bipartisan 23-person committee. It includes both Republicans and Democrats from all over the state of North Carolina. A couple of the local reps in the Mecklenburg County area. Tricia Cotham sits on that committee. Carla Cunningham, Becky Carney, a couple of other folks as well in and around the Charlotte Metro.
We will watch the work very closely from this new 23-man committee, and you can read some additional details this morning by visiting our website, CarolinaJournal.com. That's going to do it for a Tuesday edition. WBT News is next, followed by Good Morning BT. We're back with you tomorrow morning, 5 to 6, right here on News Talk 1110 and 99.3 WBT. This holiday season reached for the one butter that never disappoints.
Carry gold. made with milk from grass fed cows on Irish family farms, it's rich, creamy, and perfect for baking. whether browning butter for cookies or crafting the flakiest pie crust, Kerry Gold's high butterfat content makes all the difference in flavor and texture. Holiday treats will taste extraordinary. Yeah.
