Wayne County announced on Mar. 10 the launch of a new online Property Tax Simulator, which aims to help residents understand how their county property tax dollars support local services.
The tool is designed to provide transparency about where tax money goes and how it funds essential programs such as public safety, education, health services, and infrastructure. Residents can enter their property address or owner name into the simulator to see an estimated breakdown of how their taxes are distributed across major service areas and departments.
“This tool helps residents see the connection between their tax dollars and the services they fund,” said Joe Daughtery, Chairman of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners. “From public safety and emergency services to education and health programs, this simulator provides a transparent look at how county government works to serve our residents.”
The Property Tax Simulator was developed by the Wayne County Public Affairs Department with assistance from the Finance Department and Geographic Information System Department. It uses data from the county’s adopted budget and property records to generate detailed information for each property. “Our goal was to make this information accessible and easy for anyone to understand,” said Joel Gillie, Wayne County Public Affairs Director. “Residents deserve to know where their tax dollars go, and this tool gives them a simple way to see how those dollars help fund the services they rely on every day.”
Education is one area supported by county taxes. In Wayne County school districts during the 2022-23 school year, 14.3% of senior students (145 out of 1,013) were considered ready for college in science according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. For junior students taking the same test, 13.2% (139 out of 1,055) met college readiness standards according to state data. In reading, 22.9% of seniors (232 out of 1,013) were deemed college-ready according to official reports, while among juniors it was 20.5% (216 out of 1,055) as reported by state sources. For math readiness on the ACT exam in Wayne County schools in that year, seniors had a rate of 13.6% (138 out of 1,013) according to state data, while juniors had a rate of 12.2% (129 out of 1,055) as reported by state officials.
The Property Tax Simulator is part of ongoing efforts by Wayne County officials to improve transparency and give residents more insight into local government operations and spending priorities.
Residents interested in learning more or using the new tool can visit www.waynegov.com/taxsimulator.
