Contrary to recent statements by Morrisville Mayor Jackie Holcombe, Morrisville’s finances are in solid shape. Over the past eight months, Holcombe has purported a schizophrenic range of financial conditions for the town. Before last November’s elections, it was announced that the town was in excellent shape, with a $5 million surplus. Two months later, the $5 million surplus had vanished and she was pushing for 12 percent more expenses and a major tax increase. In recent weeks she stated that next year we must not only raise the property tax rate, but cut expenses.

As the June 17 Cary News reported, Holcombe told a group of Wake County leaders during her annual address that Morrisville was running an $800,000 deficit, because it had not balanced its FY13 budget. This statement is simply not true and is being used to bolster her position that we need to raise the taxes. North Carolina statutes require a balanced budget and that is what the town staff has done.

In spite of the council majority supporting the FY13 budget that freezes the property tax rate, the mayor continues to paint our financial future as bleak, often citing impending doom, financial insolvency and near Third-World conditions.

I think Morrisville deserves leadership that can accurately describe our financial condition and give an honest assessment of our service levels and needs. More importantly, we need leadership that brings a variety of options to better serve our residents and businesses and not always assume that the way to grow Morrisville is on the backs and wallets of its taxpayers.

Mark Stohlman

Morrisville councilman