Let’s get this straight. Republican Mecklenburg County commissioners essentially filibuster the majority’s bid to ram home over $200 million in county debt for CMS and a minor league baseball stadium on a Tuesday night before Thanksgiving, with exactly no one paying attention — and somehow that is unheard of?
Cue the Uptown paper of record editorial decrying the “obstructionist” tactics in 3, 2, 1….
There has been no serious public discussion of what all this borrowing will do to the county’s debt burden or property tax rates. County staff and elected officials know well where it is headed, however. Towards a county property tax hike. So no wonder the move is to commit the county to higher spending and then have “no choice” but to hike taxes to pay for it.
And a word of defense for obstructionists. It matters what you are obstructing. It mattered at Thermopylae, it mattered at Bastogne.
Thankfully the question of fiscal responsibility in Mecklenburg County is not nearly as grave. But if it is down to cadre of 300 against a horde of thousands, so be it.
Slowing down the juggernaut for a couple weeks is its own reward.
Update: News 14’s Shawn Flynn has much more detail on why a delay was needed. Plus this clip-n-save quote from Parks Helms: “Their absence to me says a lot about their inability to have a real answer for the kinds of things this community is moving toward accomplishing.”
Like what Parks, besides raising taxes? Only a tax-and-spender could consider that an accomplishment.
And here’s Bill James’ email to Jennifer Roberts making clear his objections to the current path. Of special note is the clear intent to ram a vote thru via Norman Mitchell’s tele-vote:
Jennifer –
I will not be attending tonight’s meeting for a variety of reasons:
1. Because I do not wish to provide the 4 Democrats with a quorum in order to put a second mortgage on the 3rd ward park (increasing the outstanding debt from $25 million to $44 million). Even more distressing is that the agenda item called for issuing 20 year COPS bond money (a second set of bond on the same 3rd ward park) even though the ‘plan’ calls for paying off the bonds in a year and a ½. The materials in tonight’s package do not contain the detailed information requested on the per square foot analysis to be paid for this property and the same per square foot price for the property across the street sold to the NC DOT (which is said to be significantly less). This makes no fiscal sense.
2. Because I do not wish to provide the 4 Democrats with a quorum in order to issue $200 million in CMS debt when the promised agree-upon bi-partisan plan to set a limit in advance of the bond sales discussion was ignored. This discussed and agree-upon limit was to be based on the realization that annual bond sales for CMS have never exceeded $150 million and yet we (on tonight’s agenda) plan on authorizing $200 million without that agreed up fiscal discussion. Will next year be $250 million? $300 million? With no plan, and no process, the taxpayers will be left to foot the bill as County bond spending spins wildly out of control.
While I understand that this may cause some disruptions (if other GOP also refuse to show up for the same or different reasons), I cannot in good faith attend a meeting where I know that certain agenda items are against the best interests of the public at large and where the 4 Democrats had planned in advance to secure Commissioner Mitchell’s ‘yes’ vote via phone from Viet Nam. If a bi-partisan solution were sought, there would be no need to patch Mr. Mitchell in via Viet Nam. There is nothing wrong with connecting him in per sae but clearly, the plan was to use the GOP to ‘start’ the meeting and then use a Democrat voting block to pass, with little ability to dissent, both of the above items along party lines.
While the lack of a quorum in absentia is a drastic measure, it is necessary to insure that the democratic process works. It was used by the Texas legislature Democrats a few years back to prevent inappropriate actions of the GOP majority and it is being used now because of concerns over the fiscal actions that the Mecklenburg Democrats had planned two days before Thanksgiving.
Other members may have other reasons. I hope we can develop a fiscal plan for CMS’ debt issuance that, as promised is an actual plan covering several years and that the majority will realize that issuing long-term bond money to pay for a short-term need (of a year and ½) is fiscal insanity that must be corrected.
I am sure that all the GOP are willing to work with you to accomplish both of these goals.
Regards,
Bill
