Hyde County’s local sales tax request deserves a ‘Yes’ 

In the March 3 primary, Hyde County voters will decide whether to approve a local sales tax increase.

After reviewing the county’s voter information guide and the discussions at county commissioners’ meetings, we believe voters should say “Yes.”

Before anti-tax folks work themselves into a frenzy, let’s be clear about the scale: This is an increase of just one-quarter of one cent—1 cent for every $4 spent, 25 cents on a $100 purchase.

The ballot language is straightforward: “Local sales and use tax at the rate of one-quarter percent (0.25%) in addition to all other State and local sales and use taxes.”

To a large city, this might look like pocket change.

Here in Hyde County, where every dollar counts, it has the potential to generate up to $250,000 a year, according to the Hyde County website.

In a sparsely populated county, that is money that can make a real difference.

Crucially, this referendum is about who pays for the crucial services we all rely on.

EMS, law enforcement, and emergency management account for about 30% of the county’s 2025–26 budget.

Right now, property owners carry most of that burden through property taxes.

At the same time, tourism has become a cornerstone of our local economy.

Thousands of visitors drive our roads, depend on our first responders in emergencies and benefit from the safety and stability of our communities on Ocracoke and the mainland.

This small sales tax increase is a fair way to ask them to help pay for what they use.

If approved, the tax will spread the cost of public safety and education beyond homeowners and local businesses. Visitors and seasonal residents, who spend money in our shops and businesses, will contribute more directly to:
– Funding EMS, deputies, and emergency management 
– Supporting Hyde County Schools, our children, and our teachers 
– Maintaining the core services that make life here possible and attractive

For most local families, this change will barely be noticeable at the checkout, and the law protects many essentials.

Under North Carolina law, the 0.25% local sales tax does not apply to:
– Food groceries (unprepared foods)
– Gasoline 
– Prescription medications 

The increase falls on general retail purchases—many of them made by tourists. That is exactly where a tourism-based county should be looking for help.

This is not about expanding government for its own sake. Hyde County is already committed to funding EMS, law enforcement, emergency management, and our schools, whether this referendum passes or fails. The need will not disappear. The only question is whether property owners will continue to shoulder almost all of the cost, or whether visitors will finally pay a fairer share.

It is unusual in North Carolina for a referendum to appear only on a primary ballot and not on the November general ballot.

But this year, Hyde joins five other counties, Gates, Granville, Henderson, Martin, and Wayne, in placing a local sales tax referendum on the March primary ballot.