June 7, 2008

This week was a light week but included a key work session on the budget.

Monday of this past week was my birthday and for some reason there was nothing on my calendar. I wonder how that happened. ;-) Thanks to the staff, I was able to enjoy spending my birthday with my family.

Tuesday it was back to the business of the town. Our budget work session focused on reviewing the proposed capital projects for this coming year. We agreed to cut $10 million from the proposed capital projects. These included the extension of South Harrison to Kildaire Farms which would have cost roughly $1 million for this year and $2 million for next year. The council agreed to postpone this indefinitely. The second major cut was the widening of Chapel Hill Road through downtown. This would have cost $9 million this year and an additional $15 million starting next year. There were several reasons to postpone this project but the main reason was need. The roads are designed in this area to have through traffic on Maynard. By widening this now we will be encouraging the opposite. We will have to make some improvements on Chapel Hill Road from Walker to Harrison once Walker Street is extended. Though we cut a significant portion from the capital projects what is left combined with the debt that we inherited projects a tax increase for several years. This is extremely disappointing. Based on information from the staff, we have no room for additional debt until after 2011 and we will need several tax increases to maintain our financial standing to bond rating agencies. We have asked staff to give us a tax rate projection to cover the remaining capital projects so that if we do raise taxes we will not have to raise taxes again for several years. I am guessing that will be somewhere around 37 cents as opposed to the tax revenue neutral rate of 33 cents. To remain at 33 cents would require us to make additional cuts in the capital projects list. The biggest ticket items in that list are the downtown streetscape project which will cost at least $35 million and the Cary Elementary renovation that will cost $17 million. The reasons given for not cutting (or phasing) the streetscape projects include the rapid inflation of building materials and the cost of the design that has already occurred. The reasons given for not cutting the Cary Elementary project is that it is about to crumble. That is, fix it or lose it. The council will probably review these big ticket items with the staff projections for a tax increase at our next work session on June 18^th.

Other than scheduled staff meetings the only other event for this week was the Grand Re-Opening of the Chatham Hill Winery. This is Cary’s only national recognized winery and I was proud to be a part of the re-opening. Though they make a lot of sweet wines there, they have had award winning premium wines. If you haven’t visited this winery it is definitely a must see.

Emails for this week centered mostly on recommendations for appointments to the Environmental Board. Controversy arose when I recommended someone who was outspoken and critical at a council meeting. It is my belief to appoint the best qualified candidates and that all candidates should be included in the pool of possibilities regardless of their opinions and statements. After all, it is our first amendment right. 

That’s about all I have to report for this week (from Orlando). I will return from vacation on Thursday in time for the council meeting. So I’ll close for now and hopefully post again by Saturday, June 8th.