Chatham Conservative Voice responds to Commissioner Partick Barnes

Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2007

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Chatham county, NC - On November 6, The Chatham Conservative Voice issued a statement to the Chatham County Commissioners calling on them to abandon the Land Transfer Tax Option. The voters have spoken. This is the response we received from Patrick Barnes, Chatham County Commissioner, in it’s entirety:

“OK - Since it seems you have all the answers – then you study Chatham County’s budget and expenses and tell us how we can pay for the infrastructure and needed schools. We all await your reply!”

Response to Commissioner Barnes’ Letter

Dear Commissioner Barnes, and others on the Board,

Thank you very much for your response; however, you give us too much credit when you say we have all the answers. We believe that a careful review of the results can be very informative and give us clues as to how to proceed.

Clearly, the Chatham County voters have sent a message on the first major item this Board has brought before them. There were dramatic differences on how the relatively affluent Northeast precincts voted versus the rest of the County. Whereas the Northeast citizens’ greatest economic concern may be whether to reinvest their dividends or take a cruise, the rest of the county has to worry about life’s basic necessities. While the Northeasterner may worry about where Buffie parked the Lexus on Franklin Street, the rest of the County worries about keeping the truck running. Clearly, we have two different cultures – one that is very conscious of expenses and another that is very liberal with money, particularly other people’s.

While personal economic well-being may have motivated a few votes, there were other concerns that motivated other voters. First, the Board’s message was incredible, with needs unnecessarily inflated and projected revenues/benefits underestimated. The concern over water and sewer seems particularly misguided since in most jurisdictions, these costs are largely user, and not taxpayer, borne. The school population projections were double what several independent estimates were and what history would project. Although it is tempting to cherry-pick data to support whatever conclusions you would like, it is a disservice to the taxpayers to use their money to generate these non-objective, non peer-reviewed results. It is simply wrong to use taxpayer money to propagandize the issue under the rubric of “educating” the voter.

You challenge us to review the county’s needs and come up with solutions. I would suggest we abandon the Northeast culture, where money is no object. We need to do in the County what the ordinary citizen has to do each day. We recognize that we can’t afford everything and we prioritize our needs/wishes. As many studies have done, including Al Gore’s re-inventing government task force, you should look at what services government should be doing and what should be discontinued/outsourced or what private/public partnerships should be studied or undertaken, etc. Under any circumstances, you, like us, have to learn to live within your budget. And for those items that are low priority –just say no!!

If the County wishes to have more revenue to provide more/better services, then it should try to maximize its revenue sources. It should not be taking large blocks of high-revenue producing property off the tax rolls or restricting their use for aesthetic reasons or environmental faddism. If we wish to engage in this faddism and aspire to be the “cleanest, greenest” County, we ought to know how much revenue we are foregoing for this conceit. Where are the cost-benefit analyses?

Frankly, the voters are confused when on the one hand you say you need more money and on the other hand you are taking prime real estate off the market so the elite’s view from 15/501 is not marred by tax-producing entities. By this we are referring to your proposed 15/501 Corridor Ordinance. By the same token you wish to retire from tax-producing status large blocks of land to solve a problem that experts say does not exist. If we could afford these luxuries, they might be worth considering, but you’re telling us we need a tax increase!!

Probably the best advice we could give to the Board, would be to get out and hear the real voice of Chatham County. As attractive as the conference room at Carolina Meadows, the Barn at Fearrington and the General Store are, those places are not where you hear the voices of Chatham County. Nor should you delude yourself that the voices of the acolytes who regularly leave their homes in Northeast Chatham to form the Greek Chorus praising you at Board meetings represent Chatham County. If you had gone instead to the little stores, gas stations, non-chic eating places that can be found throughout the County, Best Foods and Wal-Mart in Siler City, etc., you wouldn’t have been surprised on Election Day. In the future you wouldn’t be crafting rules and regulations contrary to the interests and wishes of that citizenry.

The people of Chatham have spoken – are you listening??

Sincerely,

The Chatham Conservative Voice