Nope, no carrot. Just sticks. Big and little. Which one do you want to get hit with?
That is the sum total of what local politicians have planned for Mecklenburg County’s suburban taxpayers. County commissioner Norman Mitchell let that slip last night right before he accused WBT “classism, separatism, and racism” for failing to fail into line with the CMS pro-bond propaganda campaign.
Filling in the blanks, here’s the deal Mitchell offered the suburbs: Ignore WBT and support a $427 million-sized bond offering and swallow the higher property taxes that it will mandate, or we will bus your kids from the overcrowded burbs into the inner city. Under no circumstances will you get the schools you need in your area without paying and paying again. You are the problem. You job is to fund the county and shut up. Or move.
That is what stands behind Parks Helms’ laughable call for County Manager Harry Jones to craft a new bond package that voters will support. Or else.