Can we get more jobs in Wake Forest?

(This is the fifth week of questions to the town board candidates about local issues.)

Some of these questions come from Grif Bond, a planning board member.

** What is your plan to boost economic development to improve local employment in industry, manufacturing or higher-paying non-retail businesses? He notes that about 90 percent of the employed people who live in Wake Forest commute to Raleigh, Durham, RTP or other locations. Local employment would lessen traffic congestion.

** How will you manage the tax rate, now 52 cents with 11 cents dedicated to the independent Wake Forest Fire Department and 41 cents covering governmental operations? The 41 cents also includes weekly garbage and recycling pickup so there are no charges to individual homeowners, unlike most other local municipalities.

Comparisons with other municipalities are not useful because they have different tax bases (usually more industry) and do not include garbage and recycling but charge them as fees and many have other fees than we have in Wake Forest.

** There will be a county-wide property revaluation in 2020 which in the past has meant a larger tax base for Wake Forest. The town manager will propose a new tax rate or keep the present rate and the commissioners will determine whether to accept his proposal. Have you considered the revaluation and the setting of a new tax rate?

** As the town commissioners have decided to include the fire department in the town organization, there will be some financial considerations. The consultants and the town’s finance department will work out how the town should handle that financially. Would you be inclined to accept their recommendations?

** Would you vote for and be ready to pay for another fire station?

** What will you do when the town manager and chief finance officer recommend one or two bond referendums in the near future?

** How important do you think greenways and parks are? Do we need another large park, another community center? Would you be open to the idea of a large aquatics center?

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The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a candidates’ meet and greet Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Renaissance Centre. All seven candidates will be at the event during which they will have three to five minutes for a position statement followed by a moderated question and answer period. Afterward there will be an informal meet and greet session with the town residents who attend.

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Election Day for the November Wake Forest municipal elections is Nov. 5 with polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. There is no early voting for Wake Forest elections, and you do not have to show an ID to vote in this election.

If you are not registered to vote, the deadline to do so is Oct. 11. You can register to vote online by going to www.wakegov.com, choosing Board of Elections on the first page and Register to Vote on the second. While there you can learn all the other locations in Wake County where you can register.

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Chad Sary

Several years ago I was able to participate in an economic development course for local governments through the University of North Carolina School of Government. This course is a great comprehensive educational program that integrates theoretical and practical perspectives and provides participants with the “basics” of a local governments role in economic development.

Some the key components for economic success, particularity in Wake Forest, is to have: 1) the workforce and education to support new businesses; 2) the proper “business climate;” 3) the infrastructure to support and access new business; 4) a high quality of life (moderate climate, recreation opportunities, cultural history, and health care) and 5) performance based incentives. These are factors we must have to not only attract new businesses but even more importantly, retain and grow our existing ones.

We need to foster these characteristics, search for partnerships with our business community and promote our town as a destination for investment, growth and expansion. There is no doubt we need to continue to search for ways to attract a diversified employment base. Too many of our citizens have to drive 30 to 45 minutes or more every day to Raleigh or Durham to their job. When more citizens can live, work and play here, it will shorten commuting and lessen traffic congestion.

Local government’s main responsibility should be to provide protection services, be financially responsible with tax dollars and provide services to aid in the quality of life for its citizens. Financial accountability is something that is very important to me. The Town staff and Board of Commissioners work very hard in preparing and monitoring the budget each year. The budget should always reflect those goals and strategies outlined in the Town’s strategic and comprehensive plans.

The fire department merger, which will take effect in July 2020, will certainly help in protecting our citizens and provide better benefits to the firefighters. The 225-page Fire Department Feasibility Analysis prepared for the Town notes the budget gaps that will be created by the merger. I am confident that the Town staff in working with the Board of Commissioners, the Fire Department and the consultant will carefully prepare alternatives to fill these gaps.

If elected, I will thoroughly review these recommendations (increased tax rate, feasibility of a new station, bond referendum, etc.) and accept them if they are justified. I also think it is important to have consistent communication with the current fire department members (full-time and part-time) during this transition to keep them aware of the process and receive their input.

Just as utilities and public safety are essential public services, parks and recreational opportunities are vitally important to establishing and maintaining the quality of life in our town. They ensure the health of families and our youth and contribute to the local and regional economy and environmental well-being of our community.

I take a lot of pride in the fact that Wake Forest has such a robust, active system of parks and recreation programs for public use and enjoyment. I remember when the Town’s first greenway was constructed in 2003. The fact that there are approximately 14 miles of developed greenways now and nearly 40 miles of planned in our town is phenomenal.

We should continually plan and carefully evaluate the location for future parks, greenway connections and other recreational opportunities that are convenient for our citizens. I would certainly entertain a new park or aquatic center as long as it was justified and was financially feasible. Perhaps the town could explore public-private partnerships for one of these centers to help offset the financial impact in the future.

Sean Sullivan

The questions asked this week bring together several topics: economic development, current tax rates, property reevaluation, the merger of the fire department, bonds, greenways, parks, and the idea of building an aquatics center.

We have a great workforce living in town and bringing large corporations requiring a large headcount would benefit both the town and the company. I was lucky enough to experience working at the Century Link building on US 1 for a couple of year before that position was relocated to Kansas City. I believe tax incentives work well to bring companies to the area and the payback is ten fold affecting not only work-life balance for residents, but the money will be spent locally.

Although I am okay with tax incentives, I am wary of bonds. I see bonds as an additional tax created due to improper planning and budgeting. Whatever the bond has been created for, if important enough, should be a line item in the budget.  The 4^th highest tax on your property tax bill related to town taxes is debt services. This is comprised in part from bonds and interest on loans. Any bonds recommended should be presented to the residents so they understand not only what great new thing the town will get, but should also emphasize the true cost of what they are voting for and the impact on their taxes. I feel so many voters in local elections do not understand bonds.

I am not in favor of tax increases. As mentioned in the question about tax rates, it is noted the rate for the fire department is at 11 cents. During the feasibility study, the consultants mentioned an increase of 3 cents to the tax rate may be needed going forward to cover costs, not including the one million dollars needed up front. Most people would think a 3 cents increase would be negligible, but adding 3 cents to the current tax rate of 11 cents calculates to a 27% increase!  The town will need to work on a way to make the fire department merger work without passing the new costs on to the residents. A homeowner with a property value of $200k is already paying $150 for fire service, the 3^rd highest tax the town charges which is included  under government expenses and public safety.

I have posted an example of tax rates on my Facebook page @sullivanforwakeforest where everyone can see a breakdown of where our tax dollars are going.

I love parks. I can walk to Joyner Park from my home. But future plans for Harris Road will make access to Joyner Park more than inconvenient for drivers. I’d like to see another park added to the town, but kept in its natural state like I think we initially thought Joyner would be. I don’t recommend any discussion of an aquatics center. The town’s recreation capital improvement plan already has a list of things we need to purchase and with the cost of the fire department merger, I think the discussion of an aquatics center should be put off for now.

Adam Wright

Mr. Bond, these are some wonderful questions and I thank you for asking.

One of the three main planks in my platform is dedicated to small business growth. In 2012, I started my own small business here in Wake Forest. So, I understand the hurdles that many of our business owners face.

According to the Small Business Association, 50 percent of small businesses fail in the first five years. Every dollar that the town can save a business owner is one that he can use to keep the business open. That is why I would push the town to open a business incubator. Approved applicants would be offered office space and internet access. We would also team up with a service, such as SCORE, offered by the SBA. The town can also hold regular asset fairs and business seminars put on by local business leaders. The cost to operate a program such as this would be small. Yet, the payoff could be huge. The town has already had tremendous success with a program similar to this when it helped the Wireless Research Center.

Another way that I would help the town create jobs is to have it back a performance art theater. I grew up in the theater and I have seen what a theater can do not only for personal growth but for the town’s growth as well. What do people want to do before they go to a show? They want to go out to eat! I, just like many of you, would love to see a wider selection of mom and pop restaurant choices. A theater opening in our town could provide the incentive for more to open. The town could structure the parking lot to include some mixed-use zoning on the edges with shops and restaurants on the bottom and condos or office space above them.

My dad runs a theater in a small town in Southern Virginia. The town backed the idea and the theater operates on grants, donations, and the revenue it generates. So, this is also something the town could do that would generate some small business growth, create jobs, and bring a wider restaurant selection.

As noted, there will be a county-wide reevaluation. I would hope that with the near 50 percent population growth we have experienced in the past 10 years that we would get a tax relief for all this growth that we have taken on. I want to cut frivolous spending as well. There is an estimate in the town CIP for $200,000 to paint “Wake Forest” on the water tower downtown. While it may look nice, is that a good investment of our money? I think not. Projects such as that, I would want to put a hold on until we fix our traffic infrastructure and our schools being capped.

After listening to the recent discussion on bringing the fire department in the town, I feel that we should build a new firehouse. This will likely not be cheap. So, making sure that we are financially sound to be able to take on such cost is important. The presentation also pointed out that fire Station #1 also will need some upgrades soon in addition to replacing trucks and apparatuses. That being said, I would also listen to the town’s finance department on how we should best handle these costs. As long as their recommendations are sound, I would likely vote for them. My goal would be to do this with no tax increase or bonds needed.

It is hard to say if I would vote for any future bonds as I do not know of any reason we currently would need them and I do not want to speculate. The city took on $25.1 million in debt in 2014. Why do we need to add more to that at this time?

I love the greenways in the area. I think they are a great value add to the community. Not only do they increase our property values, but they are also a great way to encourage exercise and provide a beautiful green space. There have been recent studies that suggest the more green space a town has, the lower the crime rate and anxiety levels.

I have heard from many people in the town at my meet and greets and canvassing that they would like to see more parks. I am all for this idea. I would like to see, however, that we try to find more grants and sponsorships to lessen the cost to the city. After we spent $14 million for a community center that was supposed to cost $11 million, I am cautious to make such another large investment so fast. I have not heard from anyone in the town that they would like an aquatic center.

Greg Bartholomew

Like the rest of America and North Carolina, Wake Forest used to have manufacturing jobs. Firms like Walter Kidde, Neuse Plastics, Weavexx/Formex, Athey, Schrader Bellows, Burlington Mills, and The Body Shop World Headquarter have disappeared from Wake Forest and the surrounding areas.

Wake Forest is now basically a bedroom community for the job centers of Raleigh, Durham, and Research Triangle Park. This makes us highly dependent on our already congested transportation system. Big problem. Any potential business leader whom experiences the morning and evening traffic on Capital Blvd, will certainly think twice about moving his/her operation to Wake Forest.

We currently have no close interstate highway, nor do we have a dedicated business park capable of hosting new industries. The proposed Seminary Park should really ignite office growth in town. All along I-85 and I-40 are large business parks and tracts of undeveloped land with intact infrastructure. The State of North Carolina Commerce Department constantly pushes these areas to prospective industries. Not good for us.  Nearby, Franklin County has excellent centers of employment. How do we compete for jobs? Right now, I don’t think we can. So, travel we must!

However, there is hope. In 2018, Wake County welcomed 16.8 million visitors who spent $2,700,000,000 {that’s 2.7 billion dollars}. Incredible!! We need to get our share of that money. We need that tourist dollar. Let’s think about what we can do to bring the tourists to Wake Forest.

Here are some suggestions:

• Design a downtown mini Durham Bulls style Softball and Baseball Park
• House a Pottery Making Enterprise
• Secure a Bronze Casting Statue Business
• Display Bronze Statues of various types around downtown to attract young people
• Create a Downtown Park for high tech toys: Remote Car Racing Track, Drone Racing Course, Computer Gaming Events, etc.
• Develop an old style (Williamsburg type) Commercial Center of historic homes which are in danger of destruction due to growth. Businesses could include:  clothing maker, leather worker, print shop, cheesemaker, blacksmith, furniture maker, candle maker, glassblower, artists, musicians
• Big multi-week Christmas festivals

The possibilities are endless. Any way to use history to our advantage.

As a way to encourage restaurants to open in Wake Forest, perhaps the Town could offer a grant program to counter the cost of starting new restaurants downtown. This grant would offset the high costs of grease traps required by Raleigh Utilities.

Wake County just increased its tax rate which makes it harder to raise local taxes. So, we need to get more money from the county. Sig Hutchinson, our County Commissioner, is a great resource for Wake Forest. The more money we request, the more we will receive. I’m a firm believer in the axiom “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” The fact that Wake Forest does not separate fees is good for its citizens because it helps increase income tax deductions. Fees are not deductible.

Taxes are always an issue for communities. As Commissioners, we need to spend tax payer’s money wisely in order to get the most bang for the buck. Finding more efficient ways to spend and save money for the town is key. I trust our town managers to make tax decisions based on the best interest of the citizens of Wake Forest.

The Wake Forest Fire Department consolidation could require up to a .03 cent tax increase. I believe this is good for the town and these employees. But we should strive to make sure it is done at the lowest cost to the town. Should we contract out the administrative costs of $350,000? Maybe we can save $200,000?  Just a guess. A new station 6 is essential for fire protection in the Northeast quadrant of our town.  Has any developer offered land to the town for a station? Maybe they should.

Bonds are an excellent way to build now and pay later. Cary has recently requested bonds of $225 million to pay for Roads and Parks. Interesting.  Wake Forest has a great financial rating. Our financing costs should be quite low.

Greenways and parks are essential resources the town owes its citizens. Growth does require bigger and better parks. Why wait? Buy the land now before inflation drives up land costs even more. Parks don’t have to be large. But they should be first class with amenities for all ages. A community center on the south side of town would be great. What about an aquatics center? Absolutely, swimming is wonderful exercise. Besides the downtown ballparks, a multi-purpose Soccer Center could be used for lacrosse, rugby, flag football etc. This field complex could be on the backside of Flaherty Park.  GOOD for everyone!

Some final thoughts as I conclude the topics of the week:

Wake Forest should:

• Strive to be an “All-American City” Candidate.
• Consider applying to host the N.C. Senior Games
• Research the possibility of a town leased small grocery on North Allen Road
• Build a commercial building on the Dubois School property that would support a food bank with greenhouses and gardens. Perhaps Tri- Area Ministries could operate there. Jobs would be created for the community and healthy food too.

I am not accepting donations. That’s my personal preference.  A vote is free. I’m only placing 10 signs around town in an effort to reduce clutter. Why mess up such a beautiful town? I appreciate your time and your vote on November 5^th.

Jim Dyer

Again, another excellent series of questions. Before launching into all the answers, I want to share some life experiences with our readers. As a captain in the U.S. Army, I had the privilege of teaching leadership and management skills at Colorado State University for four years. We were recognized as the top ROTC program in the nation. During my second year, I was assigned the additional duty of recruiting from the incoming freshman students to enroll in the military history class.  I was the top recruiter in the nation.

Upon promotion to major, I was assigned to a lieutenant colonel position on the staff of a four star general. I did not know all the details of my new job. As in previous assignments, I worked tirelessly to learn the job and did it well. After six months on that job, the two star general, chief of staff called me to his office for a conference. Succinctly stated, he said, “I have observed your work ethic. You come in early and work late and always perform at the highest level. He went on to say that a colonel’s position is coming open soon and I am going to assign that position to you.” I did not know all the details of that job, either. I worked hard and performed well.

I don’t want to bore the readers with my past history of success on the job. I had several other opportunities to be place in positions of responsibility way beyond my pay grade as a major. I will share one more example.  After completing the assignment in the colonel position at the rank of major, I was assigned as the operations officer for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. That is also a position calling for a lieutenant colonel. I excelled at that job and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. I did not know all the requirements of that job when it was assigned.

The point that I am trying to make here is: People can be assigned, promoted or elected into positions without knowing all the answers. It appears to me that the expectation of some is that Wake Forest Town commissioner candidates should have all the answers to the issues in our community. That is unrealistic!

We are fortunate to have a well educated and experienced team of employees that have been recognized for their excellent work. Additionally, we have excellent team members from the community that serve as volunteers on advisory councils. The Wake Forest commissioners need to learn all they can from these two groups. We also need to listen to our neighbors and get their input before making a decision.  I am asking the readers to not jump to conclusions.  In my opinion, it’s premature to be asked question that will require advice from numerous sources. Conditions are very likely to change and will require some flexibility.

Again, I do not have a political agenda beyond my willingness to serve the town I love. My decisions, when it comes time to make decisions, will be made with input from all parties with the desire to do what is best for Wake Forest.

Heather Loftin Holding

Economic development is, of course, a major part of taxation and also infrastructure development.  While larger industries would logically provide employment opportunities and potential tax base, Wake Forest is running low on large tracts of land available. Jason Cannon and the town’s economic development department are doing a fantastic job trying to bring Wake Forest to the attention of many industries.  Unfortunately larger economic development deals do not happen quickly. I am a small business owner and believe that small businesses can also provide needed economic development opportunities on a quicker timeframe.

Tax rates are always understandably hot topic issues. We have been lucky to have the growth rate that provides expansion in the tax base without having to raise the tax rate. I would try to balance the burden on the citizens against the services we are able to provide to those citizens. I believe that the town staff has done a good job in the past of balancing the budget effectively in the past. I will certainly lean on the staff’s expertise but also listen to the citizens as much as possible.  I don’t believe anyone wants to have fewer services available.

I am an ardent supporter and user of greenways and open spaces. I believe an aquatics center is a great idea with the potential for partnering with entities that currently manage aquatics centers. All of the recreational and natural spaces will always contribute to the amazing quality of life we enjoy in the Town of Wake Forest.

Anne Reeve

Economic development is a priority for Wake Forest. We hired an economic developer and he has made valuable contacts around the state. We are very lucky to already have a base of tech operations, and some of their suppliers. We will continue to grow this industry because it is the future.

I do not think local employment will lessen traffic congestion.

We are fortunate to have been able to keep our taxes the same for several years. We always look carefully at the overall need for any increases. Some people think that because of the growth, there is no need for tax increases. With growth comes more needs to serve the new people/businesses. When the town manager proposes an increase, he has carefully reviewed the proposed budget for the coming year to see if there will be new/added expenses for the coming year.

Wake County doesn’t ask our advice on revaluations. So, we will need to see what the revaluation will be for us to determine the impact on Wake Forest.

The advice we have received from the consults has been thorough and comprehensive. Having the fire department as part of town government is how it should be operated. We have an excellent fire chief and firefighters. They will bring a lot to the table.

As you are aware, there are proposals for more development in the northwest side of town, therefore the need for the sixth fire station will be a necessity.

We only issue bonds to be able to accomplish needed infrastructure.

As long as we get 80/20 funds to build greenways, we should proceed. If we need to pay for the greenways, I would not be in favor to pay for them. We need parks and a community center in the southeast area of town. These would be items that bonds would be used to accomplish these goals. An aquatic center would be a valuable asset.

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