On the Record: Land Transfer Taxes
06/10/2008 | 08:00 PM
Paul Stam Republican Leader
North Carolina House of Representatives
Raleigh – Last Thursday fifty-nine Democratic House members* voted to allow counties to impose a tripling of Land Transfer taxes from .2% to .6% if approved by the voters in a referendum, despite rejection of the tax in all twenty county elections since last year.
The local option to offer voters a Land Transfer Tax was part of last year's Budget.
Rep. Paul Stam (R-Wake) has opposed Land Transfer Taxes as "irrational" because they treat different homeowners the same. He offered an amendment to this year’s budget to eliminate the tax, arguing the option failed to gain support after twenty local elections.
Speaker Joe Hackney (D-Orange) ruled Stam's amendment “out of order,” however. Curiously though, in 2007 he had ruled the same tax provision “in order” for inclusion in the budget.
Stam moved to "suspend the rules" so the amendment could be considered.
59 Democrats voted not to allow consideration of an end to this tax option, while 50 Republicans and 4 Democrats voted in favor of suspending the House Rules so Stam’s amendment ending the tax could be considered.
"We now have a clear record on this tax which the voters have rejected," Stam said.
*On the Motion to Suspend the Rules so Repeal of the Land Transfer Tax could be considered:
June 5, 2008 NC House Roll Call #1458 - House Bill 2436 (Ed.3)
Democrats voting "NO:"
Adams; Alexander, K.; Allen; Bell; Bordsen; Braxton; Brisson; Bryant; Carney; Church; Cole; Coleman; Cotham; Crawford; Dickson; Earle; England; Farmer-Butterfield; Fisher; Gibson; Goforth; Goodwin; Haire; Hall; Harrell, T.; Harrison; Hill; Holliman; Hughes; Insko; Jeffus; Jones; Love; Lucas; Luebke; Martin; McAllister; Michaux; Mobley; Owens; Parmon; Pierce; Rapp; Ross; Spear; Sutton; Tarleton; Tolson; Tucker; Underhill; Wainwright; Warren, E.; Warren, R.; Weiss; Wilkins; Williams; Womble; Wray and Yongue
Republicans voting "YES:"
Allred; Avila; Barnhart; Blackwood; Blust; Boylan; Brown; Brubaker; Clary; Cleveland; Current; Daughtridge; Dockham; Dollar; Frye; Furr; Gillespie; Grady; Gulley; Hilton; Holloway; Holmes; Howard; Hurley; Johnson; Justice; Justus; Killian; Kiser; Langdon; Lewis; McComas; McElraft; McGee; Moore; Neumann; Pate; Ray; Samuelson; Setzer; Stam; Starnes; Steen; Stiller; Thomas; Tillis; Walend; Walker; West and Wiley
Democrats voting "YES:"
Faison; Coates; Harrell, J., and McLawhorn
North Carolina House of Representatives
Raleigh – Last Thursday fifty-nine Democratic House members* voted to allow counties to impose a tripling of Land Transfer taxes from .2% to .6% if approved by the voters in a referendum, despite rejection of the tax in all twenty county elections since last year.
The local option to offer voters a Land Transfer Tax was part of last year's Budget.
Rep. Paul Stam (R-Wake) has opposed Land Transfer Taxes as "irrational" because they treat different homeowners the same. He offered an amendment to this year’s budget to eliminate the tax, arguing the option failed to gain support after twenty local elections.
Speaker Joe Hackney (D-Orange) ruled Stam's amendment “out of order,” however. Curiously though, in 2007 he had ruled the same tax provision “in order” for inclusion in the budget.
Stam moved to "suspend the rules" so the amendment could be considered.
59 Democrats voted not to allow consideration of an end to this tax option, while 50 Republicans and 4 Democrats voted in favor of suspending the House Rules so Stam’s amendment ending the tax could be considered.
"We now have a clear record on this tax which the voters have rejected," Stam said.
*On the Motion to Suspend the Rules so Repeal of the Land Transfer Tax could be considered:
June 5, 2008 NC House Roll Call #1458 - House Bill 2436 (Ed.3)
Democrats voting "NO:"
Adams; Alexander, K.; Allen; Bell; Bordsen; Braxton; Brisson; Bryant; Carney; Church; Cole; Coleman; Cotham; Crawford; Dickson; Earle; England; Farmer-Butterfield; Fisher; Gibson; Goforth; Goodwin; Haire; Hall; Harrell, T.; Harrison; Hill; Holliman; Hughes; Insko; Jeffus; Jones; Love; Lucas; Luebke; Martin; McAllister; Michaux; Mobley; Owens; Parmon; Pierce; Rapp; Ross; Spear; Sutton; Tarleton; Tolson; Tucker; Underhill; Wainwright; Warren, E.; Warren, R.; Weiss; Wilkins; Williams; Womble; Wray and Yongue
Republicans voting "YES:"
Allred; Avila; Barnhart; Blackwood; Blust; Boylan; Brown; Brubaker; Clary; Cleveland; Current; Daughtridge; Dockham; Dollar; Frye; Furr; Gillespie; Grady; Gulley; Hilton; Holloway; Holmes; Howard; Hurley; Johnson; Justice; Justus; Killian; Kiser; Langdon; Lewis; McComas; McElraft; McGee; Moore; Neumann; Pate; Ray; Samuelson; Setzer; Stam; Starnes; Steen; Stiller; Thomas; Tillis; Walend; Walker; West and Wiley
Democrats voting "YES:"
Faison; Coates; Harrell, J., and McLawhorn