Both budget and nondiscrimination passed

Tuesday night’s town board meeting came in different, unrelated chunks, beginning with the first act when Commissioner Nick Sliwinsk moved to take the agenda item — the second reading for the proposed Friday Night on White curfew — off the agenda and everyone agreed.

Sliwinski said his was the only vote against tabling the ordinance at the work session. He continued to reflect on what other commissioners said then, and had a few “informal conversations” about the curfew.

Immediately afterward, the board went into a closed session to consult with their attorney, Hassan Kingsberry, but it only lasted about six minutes. There was no explanation afterward.

Then there was a public hearing about the former nursing home on South Allen Road — long abandoned — where Stacy Woodhouse with GWP Developers of Warrenton plans to renovate the building and lot and turn it into apartments for veterans and others 62 and older. Senior Planner Patrick Reidy said the owner now wants to add masonry and other material to the exterior.

The neighbors who spoke were not complimentary. Jennifer Rose said it should become a skilled nursing facility as it was before, there are problems with the street and “oversight is super important.” Susan Ray called it “a grave insult to our neighborhood,” and another woman feared it would destroy her backyard.

Two public hearings followed — reported separately — and the meeting resumed at 8.

Both Commissioners Adam Wright and Faith Cross had questions and comments about the South Allen Road former nursing home, all answered at an earlier meeting. Commissioner Keith Shackleford asked to be recused because of a possible conflict of interest, and the vote, on a motion by Sliwinski, was unanimous to approve the project.

Sliwinski also moved to approve the budget as proposed earlier and Commissioner Ben Clapsaddle seconded. Wright, who lives downtown, said he would like to see the downtown district tax rate “reworked” and possibly lowered.

Cross, who had mentioned this earlier, spoke about the large amount in the town’s fund balance — think of it as a savings account. The state requires towns and cities to have 8 percent of the budget in fund balance, but, Cross said, Wake Forest has 20 to 25 percent or more in its fund balance. She said some of that should be used to pay for one-time purchases in this year’s budget. Speaking of the taxpayers, she said, “It’s their money.”

The budget for 2024-2025 does include $2 million taken from fund balance for one-time purchases.

Mayor Vivian Jones said the experts say this is shaping up to be a bad hurricane year in the Atlantic and Caribbean. “If we have a hurricane here, you’ll be really grateful for that large fund balance.” She also pointed out that the town has a Triple-A credit rating, an unusual accomplishment for a town of its size and one that means the town can get the lowest possible interest rates for its debt. “I think it’s a great budget.”

Cross voted against the budget with its 42-cent tax rate. The budget items that raised the tax rate from the revenue-neutral 34.6 cents were:

— debt service for the construction of fire station #6 and the public safety warehouse

— debt service for items in the 2022 bond referendum

— capital equipment for public safety items

— annual cost  of 15 new firefighters — currently in recruit school

— affordable housing

— increased operational costs due to inflation

The last item was a vote on an interlocal agreement for enforcement of the Wake County nondiscrimination ordinance, which was enacted in October of 2021 with almost all Wake County towns and cities acting later to add it to their code of ordinances.

All but Wake Forest and perhaps Apex, which was last reported as talking about it. The Wake Forest Town Board never discussed it. Mayor Jones said Wake Forest merchants would not like it.

Commissioner Ben Clapsaddle brought it forward earlier this year. It says the county and town “welcome all people and recognize the importance of all people being free from discrimination based on race, natural hair or hairstyles, ethnicity, creed, color, sex, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, pregnancy, National Guard or veteran status, religious belief or non-belief, age or disability.

Clapsaddle moved to approve it and Wright seconded. The vote was three to two with Cross and Sliwinski voting no.

The meeting was closed at 8:30, and the commissioners went into a closed session to discuss personnel.

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