Orange County’s biggest property taxpayers are stacking up among utilities, life sciences manufacturers and large rental landlords, and several now face seven-figure tax bills each year. A recent countywide revaluation has pushed many commercial parcels into higher assessed brackets, putting companies from Duke Energy to Thermo Fisher and multiple Chapel Hill apartment owners on the top-10 list. That concentration looms large as county leaders finalize spending plans for the fiscal year that begins July 1, since revenue from a small group of big payers can reshape school and public safety budgets. Meanwhile, homeowners and small businesses seeing sharp valuation jumps are already weighing appeals and possible relief as officials tally the totals.
Who Pays The Most?
According to Axios Raleigh, Duke Energy sits at the top of the heap with roughly $216 million in assessed value and an estimated $1.9 million tax bill. Thermo Fisher is a new entrant, showing about $157 million in assessed value and roughly $1.4 million in taxes. Large apartment owners and university-linked…..