97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell moderates a discussion between Shereese Alston, Beverly Scarlett and Hudson Vaughan of the Orange County Property Tax Justice Coalition, and Marilyn Carter and Amy Fowler of the county’s Board of Commissioners on Thursday, Dec. 11. This spring’s revaluation cycle saw plenty of property values rise in Orange County, many of which were significant. But the data consistently shows some of the most significant increases were in historically Black neighborhoods, which have many longtime residents aging in place. These changes threaten to overburden them with property taxes, causing the Coalition to spring into action. The group discusses the trends, what the organization and county government are doing to address it, and how to best communicate the process with community members.
The 2025 “Forum On The Hill” is presented by the Town of Chapel Hill, UNC Health, Wegmans, Coleman Merritt Murphy & Rainsford P.C., and The Law Office of Chris Barnes. Listen to the panels live on 97.9 The Hill WCHL the week of Dec. 8-12 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., or revisit them the day after on-demand at Chapelboro.com, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!
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Reforming and Contextualizing Orange County's Property Assessments — Dec. 11, 2025Brighton McConnell moderates a discussion between Shereese Alston, Beverly Scarlett, Hudson Vaughan, Marilyn Carter and Amy Fowler.
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