Democratic candidates in Guilford County say a constitutional amendment on the fall ballot could hurt public schools.
In November, North Carolina voters will decide whether state lawmakers set limits on how much local governments can increase property taxes.
Supporters say it could cut down on rising costs for individuals. But Sen. Gladys Robinson was one of several panelists at a town hall on Monday who warned of the amendment’s potential harm.
“It makes a difference for the county commissioners to be able to appropriate funds to provide services," Robinson said. "And education is a primary service that they do, so we can't afford to have that limited.”
Rep. Tracy Clark compared the proposal to the state’s recent property tax moratorium in Guilford, which left the school district with $14 million less in county funding than expected.
“Think about how exacerbated it's going to be if the state continues to put this cap and make it even worse for the counties," Clark said.
The Guilford County Association of Educators hosted the town hall as a way for the community to discuss public school funding challenges with elected officials.
Organizers say Republican representatives Alan Branson and John Blust, as well as County Commissioner Pat Tillman, were invited but did not attend.