Good people of Cary,

Spring is here and downtown is about to have one of its best weekends of the year.

The Pimento Cheese Festival is this Saturday, Vino & Tap just opened its doors last week, and we will be able to stress test the new parking deck with one of the biggest downtown events that Cary holds.

We also have a guest article this week from a Cary citizen and retired Army aviator on property taxes. If you own a home in Cary, you may find it interesting.

Thank you for continuing to support local,

James

The Pimento Cheese Festival takes over Downtown Cary Park this Saturday, April 11th, and it is one of the biggest events Cary puts on all year.

11 a.m. to 4 p.m., free admission, 50+ vendors, live music, a sculpting contest, and pimento cheese ice cream (seriously).

Past years have had egg rolls, empanadas, and other creations focused very intentionally on the South’s favorite cheese. Expect this year to be no different, and make sure you bring an empty stomach.

Get there early. People travel from all over the state to attend the Pimento Cheese Festival in addition to the 200k residents that already live in our town.

My advice: park at the Town Hall Parking Deck and either take the free shuttle that runs every 25 minutes, or make the 15 minutes walk.

Where: Downtown Cary Park (327 S. Academy St)

When: Saturday, April 11 | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: Free to attend, food cost varies.

Additional reading: Downtown Cary Park

By George McDowell, retired Army aviator and lawyer, and Cary citizen since 2007.

This piece explains in concise detail how the Cary portion of homeowners' yearly real-property tax bills are set.

We'll use the year of the latest revaluation of properties by Wake County staff and subsequent action by Town Council to illustrate the process.

By January 1, 2024, the County had completed the revaluations of all taxable real property. Months later, but not later than June 30, 2024, the Council was required by law to establish a tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year. Note that the previous year's tax rate was not relevant to this consideration, nor were the tax rates of other nearby towns. The revaluations had taken place six months before, and the new values were already etched in stone. Whether the revaluation increased or decreased property values was also irrelevant to Council's action on that year's tax rate.

The Town Council could do one of three things when establishing the tax rate:

The Town of Cary Council voted unanimously for option #3, to raise taxes. The rate that it set established an increase of 41.8% overall. For Cary homeowners (as opposed to commercial-property owners), the increase was closer to 48%, because residential properties increased at a rate greater than commercial properties.

In social media discussions, I've seen the assertion that "my valuation increased so my taxes increased." This assertion misunderstands the purpose of property taxation. Council is charged with setting a tax rate that raises revenue for use in public service and projects, not to financially punish homeowners or grab a share of homeowners' increases in home values for the Town.

I've also seen it written that the tax rate for 2025 was lower than the rate for 2024. The tax rate for any particular year is an element of an algorithm that is relevant for that year only. Comparison of the two tax rates is misleading. Both of the following statements were true in June of 2024:

For those who pay property taxes, the first is irrelevant. The second is all-important.

In a letter to the NC House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform, we've respectfully suggested that towns' chief budget officers be required by statute to publish the percentage of tax increase the Council-adopted rate will cause. This won't be a burden because those officers are also required after revaluations to publish the Revenue Neutral Tax Rates.

This will give voters accurate information on which to make decisions.

Interested in partnering with us? Reach out at [email protected] and let's find something that works for you.

Surprise! Still no events this week. I am working on revamping this section to be more useful.

If you’re looking for stuff to do in the area, I recommend checking the following:

Triangle on the Cheap

Downtown Cary Park’s Calendar

Town of Cary’s Calendar

And obviously, make sure you go to the Pimento Cheese Festival on Saturday.

Each week, I highlight a spot in Cary that I think you should check out. This week, we're heading to a seriously underrated park.

Not every great park in Cary gets the attention it deserves. Walnut Street Park is one of them.

It's 11 acres in the middle of central Cary, sitting between the Crossroads area and where Cary Towne Center used to be. The entrance is off of Walnut Street.

The layout is really unique for a park. There's a brick promenade, a paved loop trail that cuts through a forested stretch, and a boardwalk where you can look out over wetlands. 2.5 laps around the loop equals one mile, so it works great as a walking spot.

There are pickleball and basketball courts, which makes it a great destination to meet up with your friends to play a few rounds of the sport of your choosing.

For families, there are two separate playgrounds. One for younger kids, one for older kids with climbing ropes and structures that are more interesting than the standard stuff.

There’s a big open field that you can use for playing catch, picnics, or just looking up at the clouds.

There is on-site parking and there are bathrooms in the park.

It doesn't have the scale of Bond Park or the scenery of Hemlock Bluffs, but it doesn't need to. It's a solid neighborhood park that earns its spot on a spring afternoon.

Location: 1420 Walnut St, Cary (park and enter from Lawrence Rd)

Cost: Free

Additional reading: Town of Cary

Thanks for reading! If you liked or disliked this issue, feel free to reply and let me know! I love hearing from you.

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