New Bern North Carolina Facts
The tax rate for the City of New Bern is set by the Board of Aldermen. The tax rate for Fiscal 2003-2004 has bee set at $1.05 per $100 of assessed value. Taxes are due on September 1, 2000 with interest accruing on any taxes not collected after January 5, 2001. The interest rates charged are 2% during the month of January and an additional .75% each month thereafter.
All residents within the City limits are required to list personal and real property for taxes. The property listing period begins on January 1 and runs through January 31 of each year.
The City of New Bern enforces a Municipal Service District area. This tax rate is $.18 per $100 in value, in addition to the $.47 per $100 in value rate quoted above. This additional tax is collected for the on-going revitalization of downtown New Bern.
Motor vehicle taxes for the City of New Bern are paid to the Craven County Tax Collector. There is an additional fee of $5.00 charged to City taxpayers for vehicles registered in the City of New Bern. Payments are received at the Craven County Tax Office, 226 Pollock Street.
Tax Information
City Tax Collector: Ms. Donna S. McCoy
Location: 248 Craven Street
Dunn Building
Tax Collector Phone: (252) 636-4032
Tax Clerks: (252) 636-4082 or (252) 636-4076
Fax: (252) 636-4023
Property Taxes
| City of New Bern: (252) 636-6604 $1.05 per $100 of assessed value (includes Craven County) |
Riverbend: (252) 638-3870 $.79 per $100 of assessed value (includes Craven County) |
Trent Woods: (252) 637-9810 $.693 per $100 of assessed value (includes Craven County) |
| Jones County: (252) 448-2546 $.71 per $100 of assessed value |
Pamlico County: (252) 745-4125 $.6943 per $100 of assessed value |
Craven County: (252) 636-6604 $.58 per $100 of assessed value |
Area Industry
Community leaders have recruited modern manufacturing firms to the area, providing local residents with a sound economic base. Manufacturing makes up about 25 percent of Craven County's workforce. These companies include: Moen, Inc., a plumbing fixture manufacturing operation that employs 500 people; Craven County Wood Energy, L.P., an $82 million wood-fueled generating plant; Hatteras Yachts, a builder of some of the finest luxury yachts in the world employing approximately 500 people; Weyerhaeuser Corporation, a wood pulp and paper products manufacturer, employing 705 people; Amital Spinning Corporation, and acrylic yarn manufacturing firm with 304 employees, Tredegar Film Products, a $30 million manufacturer of extruded plastic film; and S-B Power Tools with 500 employees.
Shopping & Antiquing
Craven County offers many shopping opportunities, from large department stores to specialty shops and boutiques. Scattered among the streets that comprise New Bern's historic downtown, you'll discover antiquing, arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry, and much more. Outside of the historic district, New Bern offers many shopping centers.
Shopping opportunities continue to expand in Havelock, where there is plenty of variety. Among these are furniture stores, gift shops, music stores, and military surplus outlets, just to name a few. As a visitor to Craven County, your shopping experience is sure to be one of the highlights of your stay!
Craven County Schools
3600 Trent Road, New Bern, North Carolina 28562-2224
Phone: (252) 514-6300
Commitment, Teamwork and Excellence are the key ingredients that makes us proud of our Craven County Schools. There are 14 Elementary, three middle and three high schools, many with special education programs designed for special needs. New Bern has two private church related schools. Higher education opportunities within Craven County includes, Craven Community College and several satellite programs from Boston University, NC Wesleyan and Southern Illinois University. Mt. Olive College provides the opportunity for working adults to continue their education through their degree completion program. It has an unusual program that may credit your hours for "work experience."
Craven County is looking forward to the construction of The Institute of Aeronautical Technology projected to begin in 1999.
Cherry Point MCAS
Phone: (252) 466-4906
Is located approximately 18 miles from New Bern on Highway 70 East. Cherry Point is the largest Marine Corps Air Station in the nation. Commissary, Exchange and Hospital facilities are available, Tours are available and might include observation of military working dogs, flying squadrons such as Harriers, Search and rescue demonstrations, or windshield tour of the air station. Camp Lejeune and New River MCAS (helicopter) are both located in the Jacksonville area of Highway 17 South.
Recreation Facilities
Kidsville is a unique, individually designed large playground complex for children of all ages. It is handicap accessible and open year round to the public. It is a multi-level wooden structure, where mazes and more are interconnected through trampoline bridges, balance beams, walkways and slides. Boasting such features as a zip line, bucking bronco, train, fire pole, sandbox and ship, Kidsville is designed to be a child's delight.
The surrounding area contains picnic tables and a restroom facility nearby. Kidsville is located beside West New Bern Recreation Center at 1225 Pine Tree Drive. Groups of 15 or more must call (252)636-4061 for reservations.
West New Bern Recreation Center is located on the west side of the city at 1225 Pine Tree Drive. Facilities include a 15,000 square foot recreation center which includes a game room, meeting room with kitchen facilities, gym, ceramic room and offices.
Stanley White Recreation Center is located at 901 Chapman Street in the heart of a flourishing and rebuilding community. The 15,000 square foot building contains a regulation size basketball court with five goals, game room, meeting room with kitchen facilities, three offices and a ceramic room. All facilities are available to the public with a minimal charge.
New Bern, the second oldest city in North Carolina, was settled in 1710 by German Palatine and Swiss colonists led by Baron Christopher Von Graffenreid. He purchased the land from the Tuscarora Indians who had a small settlement here known as Chattawka, which meant "where the fish are taken out." As a point of interest, the oldest water elm tree in the US still stand in the historic section of downtown,and under that tree the treaty with the Indians was signed!
Named for the city of Bern Switzerland, the town was located on the triangle of land where the Trent and Neuse Rivers meet. The original settlers suffered with the climate, a lack of provisions, diseases and Indian problems.
A "Carolina Charter" was issued by King Charles II after he was restored to the throne in 1660 granting his loyal supporters and drinking buddies, (The Lords Proprietor) wide areas of land in the New World.
The Carolina Charter spread from Virginia to the Spanish border of Florida. The name Carolina came from "Carolus", the Latin word for Charles. William, Earl of Craven was one of the original Lords Proprietor and Craven County bears his name. The royal governor William Tryon, saw the need for a permanent capital in the growing colony and selected New Bern as the site.
Tryon Palace, first colonial and state capitol building of North Carolina was designed by the English architect, John Hawks. he palace was completed in 1770. It was a political center during the Revolution, the then governor fled the capitol for safety in 1775, and the port sheltered many privateers during that War. Even before the Revolutionary War, New Bern was known and visited by the pirates who terrorized the Carolina shoreline. Nearby Beaufort has one of Blackbeard's houses, "Hammock House" where purportedly his men and/or a wife stayed on shore leave. Blackbeard's famous ship "Queen Anne's Revenge" was discovered in the shallow waters off the Beaufort coast.
After the Revolution, New Bern became wealthy and developed a rich cultural life. In fact, at one time New Bern was called "the Athens of the South." The Tryon Palace was the capital of the independent State of North Carolina. It is a town of many firsts: The first school to be chartered in North Carolina, first Roman Catholic church and the first Jewish synagogue in North Carolina. Renowned in the South were the Masonic Temple and the Athens Theater, both still very ctive in the town.
Union forces (called "federals" at the time) captured New Bern early in the Civil War (March 14, 1862). The officers occupied the larger homes in the town, and the town was filled with Union troops for the rest of the War. For this reason, there was less damage to New Bern than to many small Southern towns.
After the difficulty of Reconstruction, New Bern came to life again and by 1916, there were 16 lumber mills here. A thriving pitch and turpentine trade was established. It was also a source of seafood that was shipped far and wide.