Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of my friends and neighbors insist their moving out of Chapel Hill after their kids finish high school.

I used to hear that occasionally, but now it’s constant.  What’s causing this mass exodus?  Could it be taxes?  Fear of new taxes combined with the high, unrealistic reassessments of our homes?  Are residents fearful that new fees will be added to their burden?  The way recycling and storm water management taxes were added.  Not to mention the skyrocketing OWASA bills.

Families move here for excellent schools and are forced out because they can’t afford the taxation.  Something is wrong.

Chapel Hill should be a place they can live their whole lives.  Liberals just don’t feel comfortable complaining about taxes.  So, eventually they vote with their feet.  By quietly leaving town.

The liberal view is that tax revenue solves problems for those incapable of helping themselves.  Conservatives believe that taxes are drain on people’s motivation to produce goods and services or to better themselves.

Taxes are your hard earned money and you deserve to keep more of it.  High taxes are the last thing we need.  Does the local government have to heap more on us?  Public officials should realize we’ve reached a saturation point on squandering and spending tax money on everything.  Why not focus on attracting business and easing up on our taxes?

Maybe then people will stop moving away from Chapel Hill.

— Terri Tyson

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