Here’s an excerpt from the Asheville Citizen-Times article:
State Rep. Tim Moffitt said Saturday that city leaders are wrong to blame drastic cuts that would close popular programs on Republican legislation. …
City Council on Wednesday held a town hall meeting at the U.S. Cellular Center where officials told residents that budget cuts could mean closing the WNC Nature Center and city pools. … They said Republican legislation contributed to a budget gap of nearly $6 million. …
“The town hall was the most irresponsible demonstration of displaying poor leadership I have ever witnessed,” Moffitt said. …
Mayor Terry Bellamy told the crowd at the town hall that Republicans are “undercutting” the city.
Moffitt, who told the party at the GOP dinner that Republican bills are making the region stronger, said the city isn’t telling the whole truth. He said City Council members “wrongly” encourage residents to have a low opinion of his work as a lawmaker.
If the Asheville City Council votes for the first
time in 13 years to raise city property taxes, it will not only raise more revenue for the city, it will also generate higher sales tax revenue.
The formula that Buncombe County uses to apportion sales tax revenues to its cities is linked to each individual city’s property taxes. The County recently increased property values in the city of Asheville, some by as much as 32%. This will increase city revenue. I am told that city employees earn more than their counterpart in other cities in North Carolina. Perhaps, something can be done, as a former city official suggested at the town hall meeting, to address administrative expenses in order to reduce the city’s debt.
Today the Raleigh radicals are supposed to vote on HB488, the Regionalization of Public Utilities Act, which will allow public resources to be stolen and eventually privatized. So, yes, Ms Dai, cities all across North Carolina will be raising property taxes, further subsidizing suburban parasites, feeding sprawl, and ultimately enriching oil companies and asthma specialists.
Your hero Mr Moffitt has been anything but frugal with public money – he spearheaded a redistricting of county government that resulted in 40% more commissioners to pay (and a nasty legal challenge the Board of Elections had to spend money on because Republicans are too stupid to gerrymander properly), and now he wants the water system managed by a board that pays 14% more, on average, than the city water authority pays its employees.
The City probably will have to raise property taxes – this is the true cost of Mr Moffitt’s profligate governance. But it won’t end there. Everyone’s bill will go up as soon as MSD takes over, and when administration of the water system is privatized, the “free market” will step in and conduct a bidding war between all water users and the fracking industry. Ultimately, Timmy Moffitt believes we should pay roughly double what we’re paying for water, and his corporate recruiting friends should get a cut.
I’m sorry there’s been so much bad blood between the City and County about water down the years. It’s allowed Mr Moffitt to dupe people, casting the theft of 22,000 acres of land as some sort of settlement for past wrongs. Actually, it’s just theft.
Actually, HB488 specifically states the water system CANNOT be privatized. This water system is regional because it services not only Asheville, but also Buncombe County, Henderson County and other communities. HB488 was discussed in the House Finance Committee today and will probably be voted on by said committee tomorrow. It will then go to the House floor for a vote and then to the Senate. I think there is justification for a regional water authority as opposed to just Asheville calling the shots in that there is close to 30% daily leakage in the water system. This may be due to the fact that years ago, Asheville put over $120 mil in its General Fund for projects that were not water-related, neglecting over time the regular maintenance of the system. “The chickens have come home to roost.”
The bill actually does allow for privatization “in matters of administration,” which is not defined anywhere in the bill. One can assume this includes pricing and, ultimately, rationing/allocation.
Ms. Dai, I hope you’re right but I know you’re not. Moffitt is a member of ALEC, has worked as a corporate recruiter for big ol’ privatizers for a long time, and is a fundamentally dishonest man.
I could quibble about your 30% leakage claim (straight from Moffitt’s web page and, unsurprisingly, a lie) as well as the $120 million thing (how many bankrupt county authorities did the City and, yes, the County, bail out in the 30s?), but it’s just a smokescreen. The water system is a valuable resource that Mr. Moffitt and his friends are going to steal, and the history of City-County acrimony is simply a lever he’s using to get the job done.
You are aware, I assume, that the Chair of the Buncombe County Commission is in favor of Asheville retaining control of the system, yes? And his characterization of City-County relations as “better than they’ve ever been,” yes?
I’m sure you’re very impressed with Mr. Moffitt, but he has absolutely no interest in serving voters or taxpayers. He’s working for himself and some other folks. Period.