Agree with Coleman

In response to Mr. [Bill] Coleman’s letter of June 18, I would like to state that I agree with what he wrote. I live in Cary, and my neighborhood has sidewalks, which everyone uses. I think that he is correct in stating that the town of Cary should have more sidewalks, especially with the rising gas prices. It would be nice to extend the greenways to grocery stores and shops to encourage people to limit car use. Having the developers pay when they add to (congested) areas is a good plan also. In closing , I think the Town of Cary should continue its efforts toward a pedestrian-friendly environment.

James Stevens, Cary

Temper tantrums

All taxpayers in Wake County owe a debt of thanks to the Wake County Board of Commissioners for just saying no to an “out of touch” school board and their outrageous spending request. Currently, the school board is crying the “sky is falling” because they felt they were shorted $35 million dollars on next year’s budget. Under the proposed budget, the school board will receive $18 million more than last year. It is very interesting to watch the school board now throw “slings and arrows” at county commissioners; it’s like watching a 3-year old throw a temper tantrum.

Perhaps if the school board gave up wasting millions of dollars on failed “social experiments,” micro-managing every aspect of land acquisition and school building programs, and actually met some of their educational goals, the WCCs might be more receptive. However, continued failure to meet their own goals, mandatory year-round schools, insane annual reassignments, and a complete disregard for parents, have caused a great deal of strife to many parents and taxpayers. The school board should take a look at their own “Values Program” and comprehend three very important words: responsibility, accountability and transparency. Please take a few minutes and send the WCCs an e-mail (at commissioners@co.wake.nc.us) or a phone call to 856-6160 and thank them for their hard work and dedication to the taxpayers, parents and children of Wake County.

Mike Dodson, Cary

Tax hike shows poor planning

Dear [Morrisville] Mayor and Board members:

It really saddens me to see the tax increase proposal on the table. I was even more disheartened by the mayor’s comments in a recent broadcast interview. I can only hope that the majority of the sitting board does not feel the same way. It is obvious that this proposal will certainly lead to a single term as mayor and new faces on the board come November.

What is so disturbing is seeing how this board has changed over the years from a board with a concern for community to a board of agendas and aspirations that no longer puts community first. Understanding the waste and mismanagement from the town manager’s office and throughout the local government offices is a cause for concern. For years I have seen proposals and budgets of growth and opportunity with a focus on maintaining the current tax rates through bonds which were passed. It would appear that either this board was clueless or blind to the fact that we would need to raise taxes. This is a measure that residents could have bought into with gradual increases over the years versus being hit with a 19 percent tax increase at once, which appears to be a correction for years of oversight.

A 19 percent increase of our tax rates is a strong indication that this board has not lived up to the expectations of the voters and responsibilities of the office that you hold.

Gas prices soaring at all time highs (and have not yet peaked), foreclosures rising in this area, unemployment rising, the cost of groceries keeping pace with the rise in gas prices and citizens who are only a paycheck away from disaster. All this and our mayor and board is proposing a 19 percent tax hike! Looking forward to your vote and mine in November.

Paul Harris , Morrisville

Animal shelter policies still need work

I am writing in regard to the article written by Adam Arnold which appeared in the June 18, edition of The Cary News. While I appreciate the article, as it helps to bring much-needed attention to the issues of animal sheltering and overpopulation of companion animals, I would like to point out several items that are misleading and of which the public should be aware.

The article states that “SPCA officials wanted three specific changes at the county shelter: elimination of carbon monoxide gas for animal euthanasia; implementation of a 100 percent pre-adoption spay or neuter program for companion animals; and development of a foster program to help achieve that 100 percent pre-adoption spay or neuter goal. Barry Nickalson, Cary’s deputy chief of police, told the council that the county has addressed those issues.”

While the SPCA has called for these three changes to be made at the Wake County Animal Shelter, there has also been a significant outcry from the community. The county heard loud and clear that citizens wanted the gas chamber dismantled and they did so. The Town Council members have received numerous e-mails and letters from citizens regarding the animal sheltering issue. The following is a quote from council member Don Frantz’s online journal: “One thing that has really surprised me is the amount of citizen interest in both of these issues (animal sheltering and spay/neuter ordinance). So much so that I have had to create a new folder on my computer just to store all of the e-mails and information I have received on this topic (over 100 different e-mails and documents). To put this in perspective, I have received a grand total of five e-mails regarding the town’s budget and tax rate. Seriously.”

Chief Nickalson’s statement to the members of the Cary Town Council that “the county has addressed these issues” is somewhat misleading. Yes, the Wake County Animal Shelter has thought about and is attempting to find solutions to implementing 100 percent pre-adoption spay/neuter; however, they are a long way from achieving this goal. In fact, 74 animals were adopted out from the shelter from February to May of this year without being sterilized, and only six adopters have returned with to the shelter with the necessary paperwork to show that the animals that they have adopted were spayed or neutered. Since the Wake County Shelter has not been able to achieve 100 percent pre-adoption spay/neuter with its current animal population, no additional animals should be assigned to this facility. The county should continue to reimburse the Town of Cary until such a time that they have been able to demonstrate and verify that they have fully achieved the goals outlined above.

I am appreciative of Cary’s Town Council, and especially Councilman Erv Portman, for listening to the community. Forming a citizen-based task force to study the issues of pet overpopulation and animal care will surely result in strong recommendations that will put Cary at the forefront in how we care for our animals. Thank you, Town Council! You are leading the way for the rest of Wake County.

Maryanne Kalman, Cary

Morrisville: The land of funky math

The citizens of Morrisville deserve better … and certainly they deserve better math.

In a TV interview, Mayor Jan Faulkner of Morrisville defended the proposed 19 percent tax hike by saying that it was the town’s plan to raise taxes once by 19 percent and to hold the rate steady for the next five to eight years. She contrasted it with Holly Springs, which she said was already talking about raising taxes next year. Morrisville and Holly Springs are often cited as comparable municipalities in terms of size and growth characteristics.

Well, since Holly Springs passed a 0 percent increase above revenue neutral in property taxes on June 3, there’s 19 percent of potential tax-raising catch-up Holly Springs would have to do in future years just to rival Morrisville’s first year.

So let’s say that Holly Springs raises taxes in year two by 2 percent, and then let’s even double each year’s tax increase (2 percent, 4 percent, 8 percent, 16 percent) for a full five-year timeframe. Meanwhile, Morrisville intends to collect 19 percent in each of years one through five, or a total of 95 percent above revenue neutral, which is greater than 60 percent more in taxes above revenue neutral than Holly Springs even including the effects of compounding. See where this is leading? With each year, the cumulative gap widens until year five when the mayor says all bets are off. This simple illustration ignores the important effect of the time value of money, which just makes matters worse for Morrisville homeowners.

How can Morrisville attempt to convince its citizens that this 19 percent hike held steady for five to eight years is a better deal for them when surrounding municipalities have either no increases above revenue neutral like Holly Springs, Garner, Fuquay-Varina and Rolesville, or much more reasonable increases like Knightdale at 5 percent? Taxes are too important and money is too dear for Morrisville citizens to be subjected to funky math.

Tylene Kaye Johnson, Morrisville