Surf City NC Taxes

09/24/2026

From our friends at the City of Shallotte, NC

Urgent Update for Shallotte Residents: Great news, everyone! Our reward for living in the fastest growing corner of North Carolina is here, and it comes wrapped in a shiny $349.6 million school bond package.

In case you were wondering where all those new neighbors in the endless new subdivisions are going to put their children, Brunswick County Schools has an answer. Because state law says every kid needs a desk and because piling 13 modular trailers onto a single school lot apparently doesn't magically make the lunchroom, gym, or drop off lane any bigger; we’re voting on a massive bond this November.

Here is what this actually means for you right here in Shallotte:

Your Property Tax Bill is Getting an Upgrade: The county plans to roll out tax hikes in three phases starting in January 2028, topping out at a maximum increase of 5.47 cents per $100 of valuation. For a $250,000 home, that’s about $11.39 more a month; for a $550,000 home, hand over an extra $25.05 every month. Think of it as a small subscription fee for living in the 6th fastest growing county in America.

Shallotte Middle School is Getting $1 Million: But don't get too excited, it’s not for a brand new building or fancy classrooms. It’s for a multipurpose field, because nothing solves county wide capacity crunches quite like fresh turf. High schools and middle schools across the district are also finally saying goodbye to their original, antique bleachers.

A New High School on U.S. 17: To relieve North Brunswick High before it completely bursts at the seams by 2030, a $234 million high school is planned along the U.S. 17 corridor between North Brunswick and South Brunswick High. Get ready for even more construction traffic along 17 on your daily drives.

A Brand New Elementary School: $83 million is budgeted for a 900 student elementary school (Jackeys Creek Elementary), slated to open in 2029 to help drain the overflow from over capacity schools like Belville, Lincoln, Union, and Virginia Williamson.

We Don't Get State Lottery Help: Ever wonder where all that NC Education Lottery money goes? Not here. Brunswick is classified as a "Tier 3" county, meaning the state thinks our tax base is too wealthy to qualify for state school lottery grants. We’re on our own, folks.

Vote No? We Still Pay: If we vote down this general obligation bond, officials warned they’ll just ask the county commissioners for a limited obligation bond instead. That backup plan would instantly add $2.5 million in extra interest costs just to build the same elementary school. So, pay now, or pay more later!

If you have questions about how your tax dollars are being spent, the district kindly invites you to send an email through their website or just join the rest of the county on U.S. 17 to think about it in traffic!

07/12/2026

A data center in Southport?! I haven’t verified this….

Since you missed the giant disclaimer at the bottom of this post and didn’t take the time to read the most updated post; we have completely revised this into a unrelated story about a magic pony:

THE LEGEND OF BARNABY THE MAGIC PONY 🦄✨

Once upon a time, in a magical land not too far from here, lived a mythical creature named Barnaby.

Barnaby wasn’t a legend because he could fly, or because his mane sparkled in the moonlight. Barnaby was a legend because he possessed a rare, ancient superpower that has completely gone extinct in the human race:

He could actually read an entire Facebook post before opening his mouth.

Yes, it’s true. While the rest of the local herd merely glances at a headline, gets immediate blinding rage, and starts furiously stomping their hooves in the comment section, Barnaby would pull up a post, utilize his magical eyeballs to look at every single word, process the actual information given, and understand the context before reacting.
It was a staggering display of cognitive wizardry. A true miracle of our time.

Unfortunately, because Barnaby actually used all the information provided to him instead of just making up his own wildly inaccurate version of the story for the sake of drama, his engagement metrics plummeted and nobody shared his content.

Be like Barnaby. Read the words. It’s magic.

07/01/2026

During a Special Meeting of Town Council on June 30, the Town’s proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 Budget was adopted. This balanced budget utilizes previous property values in accordance with recently passed State Senate Bill 889 which postpones the 2026 Property Revaluations.
This budget was able to reduce the tax rate by $0.055 bringing the set rate to $0.475 per $100 of valuation.
You can see the full break down of the Approved Budget at
https://www.surfcitync.gov/2714/FY-26-27-Budget-Fiscal-Information
Watch the full meeting at Youtube.com/TownofSurfCity

06/21/2026

Federal, state, nor local.

06/20/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EXtaWoZmT/

Property taxes are starting to feel less like a local bill and more like a second mortgage people never agreed to.

There’s something deeply frustrating about the idea that someone can spend 30 years paying off a home, do everything “right,” retire on a fixed income, and still feel financially cornered because the tax bill keeps climbing.

I understand the argument for property taxes. Schools, roads, police, fire departments, local services. None of that is free. Communities have to be funded somehow.

But there is a difference between funding a community and slowly pricing long-time residents out of the homes they already paid for.

That’s the part that bothers people.

A house is supposed to represent stability. For a lot of older Americans, it is the reward for decades of work, sacrifice, maintenance, and responsibility. But when property values rise on paper, the tax bill rises in real life.

The homeowner does not always have more cash just because the county says the house is worth more.

That gap is where a lot of retirees are getting squeezed.

And honestly, this is one of those issues where people on both sides of the aisle should be able to admit something is broken. Nobody should spend their entire life building security only to find out they were really just renting from the government with extra steps.

What’s the fair solution here?

Should property taxes be capped more aggressively for retirees and long-time homeowners, or is there a better way to fund local government without crushing people on fixed incomes?

06/15/2026

We THINK we own our property…..But we only rent it from the government.

I’m not condoning letting one’s property go to hell like this….but who got to decide the amount of the fines?

Someone did.

And they took the place away from the “owner".

Taxes work the same way.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BSUpFmckz/