They capped your town’s budget. Now cuts hit your school and hospital.

Property taxes make up 61% of Durham’s general fund for schools, public safety, roads, and more. Durham officials warn that statewide tax cap amendments on the ballot would shrink what the county can spend on these basics. Leaders say locking in a cap will force school cuts and delay repairs. The district already faces nearly $1 billion in maintenance needs, and even a 2.5-cent tax bump this year to raise school staff pay still left a gap. Officials were clear. If these caps pass, expect cuts.

These measures do not lower taxes today, and they would block your county from fixing problems tomorrow.

Health care shows the same strain. Rural hospitals have been closing for years, with a net loss of 234 since 2001 as closures outpaced openings, according to data shared with Becker’s. States now hope federal money can soften new Medicaid cuts to rural hospitals, but that is short-term aid, not stable funding. A $50 billion federal transformation program is sending large awards by state. Yet losses piled up long before and still threaten care close to home. Schools and hospitals take the hit. When leaders cap revenue and underfund basics, the school roof leaks longer, buses break down, and your nearest ER may be the next to close. In North Carolina, state funding for public schools has declined over decades, which pushed counties to rely more on local dollars. These caps would limit those dollars.

You don’t have to be a liberal to expect working schools and an open ER. Tell your local and state leaders you expect competence, not budget caps, and vote in 2026 to replace the officials who cut your town’s funding.

• Ask your county and school board how a tax cap would change next year’s classroom and bus budgets.
• Call your state legislator and demand a plan that keeps your local hospital open and your schools funded.
• Vote in 2026 to replace the officials who capped your town’s budget.
• Check your voter registration at Vote.gov

Countdown

The 2026 midterms were 6 days ago.

References

‘There Are Going to Be Cuts’: Durham Officials Warn Tax Measures Could Hinder School Funding – INDY Week, Oct 2, 2026
$500M rural health funding moves forward in W.Va., but hospital closures still feared – WCHS, Oct 1, 2026
Congress Members Move to Offset Coming Cuts to Rural Hospital Funding – The Daily Yonder, Oct 5, 2026