Mitch,

Imagine if the Edwards had moved and had to pay a real estate transfer tax in Wake County. They reduced the county’s burden for new schools, and possibly busing, by two students and yet would have had to pay for the privilege to leave Wake County. Of course, the transfer tax is an excise tax, so they would have been able to share some of the cost with the buyer, but they also would have had to pay part of the Orange County transfer tax, too.

Childless residents of Wake County should thank the Edwards, and the parents who take their children out of the district school system. The more people who do that, the more the county can set aside land for open space.

So I say kudos to the Edwards family for advocating the Wake County Schools system of assignment and promoting open space.