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5-4 Vote by CMS School
Board turns tables on County's request
to State Legislature rejecting proposal
When the Democrats took
control of the County Commission they
promised to work with the School Board
to find new revenue
sources. After adopting the highest
percentage tax increase in recent memory
and the highest DOLLAR tax increase ever
($105 million) the County Commission
Democrats have been making the case to
the State Legislature in Raleigh that
they need new taxing authority. The
Demo's believe that if they have the
ability to impose a "Real Estate
Transfer tax" of 1% or a Real Estate
"impact fee" they claim it would reduce
the rate of increase of Property tax
increases. Republicans just see it as
"raising taxes".
After passing the tax
increase "revenue" resolution last month
along party lines it was sent to the
CMS School Board to be rubber stamped.
Someone at CMS never got
the message. After an interesting debate
last night, CMS voted 5-4 to reject
the new taxes and to not join the County
Commission Democrats in lobbying Raleigh.
School Board member Louise Woods
introduced the resolution and Coach
White read it.
Kit Cramer (Charlotte
Chamber), George Dunlap, Larry Gauvreau,
Kaye McGarry and Lee Kindberg voted
against the measure I believe.
As CMS Chair Joe White
indicated, this was a slap in the face
to the County Commission Democrats after
they raised taxes to hand CMS money.
Clearly, exasperated he asked how the
School Board could ask the County
Commissioners for money and not agree to
help them (the Democrats) in Raleigh to
find new "revenue sources".
Lots of reasons were
given for rejecting the request to ask
the legislature to support local tax
increases but only 4 supported it: Joe
White (Chairman), Louise Woods, Vilma
Leake and (I think) Molly Griffin.
George Dunlap's was the
most direct. He voted "no" because CMS
doesn't control revenue and doesn't have
taxing authority. Therefore, he mused,
there was no need for CMS to adopt the
resolution even if it was to help out
the Democrats on the County Commission.
After the "no" result was
announced, CMS Board member Louise Woods
kept trying to figure out a way to
cajole renegade Demo, George Dunlap to
vote yes. Joe White ruled that out of
order and CMS took it stand against the
County Commission's position.
Listen up Raleigh. The
School Board has determined that it
doesn't want what the Democrats on the
County Commission are selling !
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