Fact check: Tricia Cotham, challenger Ken McCool on limiting property tax hikes
North Carolina voters will decide the fate of a constitutional amendment on property taxes on the ballot this November.
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If voters approve the amendment, the General Assembly would be required to pass new legislation that would lead to a limit on how much revenue local governments can collect from property taxes.
Asked about their positions on the proposed amendment, North Carolina House District 105 candidates Tricia Cotham and Ken McCool shared different takes on the idea.
Cotham, the Republican incumbent in the southeastern Mecklenburg district, narrowly fended off a Democratic challenger in 2024. Her Democratic opponent in 2026, McCool, is a former Matthews town commissioner.
Cotham told The Charlotte Observer the proposed amendment is “geared to protect homeowners from skyrocketing property taxes.”
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“If you have lived in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County for any amount of time, you know that Charlotte and the county’s constant response for governing has consistently included raising your taxes,” she wrote in her 2026 candidate questionnaire as part of the Observer’s Voter Guide. “When does this stop? The city and county don’t want it to stop. That’s problematic and should raise your eyebrows. We must rein in spending and always remember it’s not the government’s money; it’s yours.”
McCool told the Observer that while there is a need to address property taxes, “local governments should still have local control.”
“My concern with this amendment is that the sources that primarily fund first responders, and public schools would be severely diminished. Towns would likely have to limit those services to make their budgets work. While I think this dialogue is good, we need to have more realistic goals on how to do that. My first belief is that Mecklenburg should get their fair share in funding from Raleigh,” he wrote in his candidate questionnaire.
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This story was originally published October 9, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
