A New ‘Rain Tax’ May Fall

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s rainfall is a source of the lush landscape and natural beauty that attracts thousands of tourists each year. But for residents, rain and the ensuing runoff have become yet another excuse used by cities and towns to raise taxes. Municipalities call them stormwater utility fees, but opponents say they’re taxes in disguise. The result is a steady and mostly unnoticed revenue stream flowing into government coffers sucked dry by ever-increasing local spending and the loss of state reimbursements.