Three members of the community spoke as fiscal conservatives at last night’s meeting of Asheville City Council. The main subject was the creation of Innovation Districts, which used to be Metropolitan Service Districts, which used to be Business Increment Districts, which used to be, Business Improvement Districts, . . .
The city was going to create them regardless of what the public thought. The argument ran something like: Legislation allows the creation of special districts to allow the floating of bonds. Although the city has the power to levy special additional taxes in these areas, members of council and staff swear up and down that is nowhere near their intent.
One member of the public, who makes sense half the time but is dismissed because of the outrageous persona he dons for the cameras, was treated as a silly child for saying bonds are debt, and funds borrowed must be repaid with interest. Two others spoke as taxpayers and said the improvements the city had suggested undertaking with one-time debt would have long-term maintenance costs that would unmysteriously add to the tax burden.
Mayor Esther Manheimer replied to one of them with, “That’s not the way it works.” One could only infer the intellectually enlightened thing to do is spend without a care and chalk the costs up to unintended consequences. It’s sort of like going to the store and wondering what all those people are doing standing in line at the cash register.
As for the tax increase, it is like so many other things over the years. Council is asked to pass something nonbinding “in concept.” Then, the next council looks at the approved resolution and says they have a mandate. Besides, the economy always grows, right?
