There were thanks and requests and opposition during Tuesday night’s public hearing about Town Manager Mark Williams’ proposed $56 million budget for 2014-2015 that includes a 1-cent increase in the property tax.
That one cent increase, raising the property tax rate to 52 cents, would be for the additional expense the Wake Forest Fire Department will have in staffing and operating the future Station #4 on Jenkins Road. Williams anticipates a second 1-cent increase next year.
Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce President Marla Akridge began by thanking the town board for its continued support of the chamber’s economic development program. The chamber receives $98,500 to operate the town’s economic development.
During the past year, she said, the state Department of Commerce has provided Wake Forest with 21 possible new businesses including wireless facilities, gaming industry, distribution, light manufacturing, biotech, data center and solar companies. There were also 31 leads from the Wake County Economic Development office and about 50 leads from other sources including local businesses and developers
That the town is attracting entrepreneurs is shown, she said, by the 119 solo-preneurs who participated this past year in the table-top expos sponsored by the chamber. Also, 293 people participated in the chamber’s small business workshops
Most of all, her last statistic was impressive. Over the last three years, in the zip codes for Wake Forest, Wakefield, Youngsville and Rolesville, there have been 1,980 new jobs created.
“I’m extremely excited about the upcoming year with the development of the Economic Development Strategic plan and the feasibility study for the Incubator/Innovation Center. We finally have product and opportunities to market land tracts, and have a reputation at [the state] Commerce Department and with site selectors,” Akridge said.
Harry Mitchell was next, representing the Wake Forest Historical Museum and the Wake Forest Birthplace Society, and he referenced a letter to the mayor and commissioners from the museum’s director, Ed Morris. The society had asked for $6,000 from the town next year but Williams recommended cutting that to $4,000.
Mitchell explained the $4,000 would cover the outside lighting, but the $2,000 would make the town the primary sponsor for the traveling Smithsonian exhibit, “Hometown Teams,” which will be at the museum from May 16 through June 30, 2015.
“This is something the museum is very excited about,” Mitchell said, adding that other society board members were on hand – town Planning Director Chip Russell, Jill Bright and Durward Matheny – and could answer any questions. There were none.
Two people spoke against the tax increase and the fire station on Jenkins Road. Dennis Chapman owns property in the Staffordshire subdivision in town but lives in a Jenkins Road subdivision as does Lynn Snow.
Chapman read an email he had sent to the town board members, saying he disapproves of the plan and called it “an ill-conceived station.”
Snow, who has deluged town board members, reporters, and others with emails about her opposition to the station, also said she was reading an email, but then added a number of charges that had not been included. One of those was that members of the Wake Forest Fire Department board of directors had been compensated “thousands of dollars annually” and that the department had “lost $97,300 in 2011.”
Fire Chief Ron Early spoke briefly, saying he supports Williams’ budget, that he felt the need for the fourth station has been well documented and that the station would have a “direct impact on the health and safety of the town.”
A speaker during the public comment section of the agenda which came later (see associated article in this issue) underscored the importance of a fire station close enough for a short response time.
The mayor, commissioners and town staff will meet Tuesday, June 10, for a work session on the budget. Williams said there will be a comparison between the budget and funding for the police department and the fire department in recent years.
Commissioner Zachary Donahue asked that the staff document the changes made from one capital improvement projects list to the next and next. He was assured there is money for stoplights in the budget.
One Response
If Commissioner was assured that there is money for stoplights, I would hope that one will be placed at Franklin and Highway 98 where a 101 unit development is slated. Looking ahead, with the 67 unit subdivision slated to go up on Forestville Road, I would hope that a stoplight is placed at the intersection of Song Sparrow and Forestville.