Let’s hear it for gridlock!
The Charlotte city council should be tied up in knots at the prospect of hiking the property tax rate at the council’s meeting tonight. Council members should be pouring over that budget to find a way to avoid a tax hike coming on the heels of last year’s hike in the business privilege license and big water/sewer rate hikes. In sum, it is time someone on the council actually looked at the spending side of the budget first rather than crib from a League of Cities wish-list, cost be damned.
There remains millions in questionable spending in the city budget, starting with the $60 million hole the Wachovia Arts Tower leaves in the general fund by diverting property taxes away frm police/roads/fire in order to pay for the fluff. There remains parcel after parcel of city-owned property that should be sold off and turned into tax-paying assets, rather than tax-eating liabilities. Millions in “economic development” central-planning, millions in rah-rah cheerleading spending.
Until ever bit of that junk is zeroed out, a tax hike should not be in the room, let alone on the table.
