Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1483162
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 2 - 8, 2022 UCW 13 COVER STORY Four Referendums appearing on Nov. 8 ballot give citizens voice in government by HANNAH LEE ere will be four referendums on the gen- eral ballot this November for Fayetteville vot- ers. ree of them are under the GO Bonds, which have been approved by City Council to go forward to the people. e last referendum is a Charter Amendment which would change the structure of City Council. For the GO Bonds, if approved, a tax increase for homeowners will happen. However, the city does not break down that tax increase per bond, rather they only state what the tax increase would be if all three of the bonds pass. According to the City of Fayetteville, it is estimated that for every $100 value of a prop- erty, the tax will increase by up to 4 cents. For a home price of $100,000, the property tax increase would be approximately $3.33 per month or $40 a year. A homeowner with an average home value of $200,000 would increase their property tax by approximately $80 a year or $6.67 per month. Should voters decide to pass the referendums, new property tax rates would be adopted in 2023 to take effect during the fiscal year 2024. PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENT BONDS is bond would authorize $60 million to be used for public safety. According to the referen- dum, the purpose of these funds, together with any other available funds, will be used for acquir- ing, constructing and equipping the Fayetteville Police Department and the Fayetteville Fire Department with facilities and improvements for Fayetteville. is could include buying land, im- proving or building facilities, and buying equip- ment. e city of Fayetteville has stated they would like to use the money to construct new fire stations, a new logistics center, renovate existing fire stations and renovate the police department call center. However, the plans can change. If approved, a tax increase for homeowners will be expected. See above for more details. is tax increase will take place in 2024. VOTE YES: You would approve of the bond and $60 million would be used towards public safety, with the understanding there will be a tax increase for homeowners. VOTE NO: You do not approve of the bond and no bond for public safety will go forward at this time. STREETS, SIDEWALK AND CONNECTIVITY IMPROVEMENT BONDS is bond would authorize $25 million to be used for various transportation-related improve- ments inside and outside the corporate limits of the city. ese projects could include sidewalk improvements, street repair, intersection im- provements, bike paths and lanes, bridges, curbs and drains, traffic controls, and greenways. If approved, a tax increase for homeowners will be expected. See above for more details. is tax increase will take place in 2024. VOTE YES: You would approve of the bond, and $25 million would be used towards streets, sidewalks and transportation improvements, with the understanding there will be a tax in- crease for homeowners. VOTE NO: You do not approve of the bond, and no bond for transportation improvements will go forward at this time. HOUSING BONDS is bond would authorize $12 million to be used for various community development programs to provide and rehabilitate multifam- ily and single-family housing inside the corpo- rate limits of the City, principally for the benefit of persons of low and moderate-income. is bond would help with the funding of construc- tion or rehabilitation of housing or neighbor- hood revitalization improvements, programs to provide loans and other financial assistance to individuals, and to public and private providers of housing. According to the city, there are no concrete plans or projects yet as to how to use these funds, but they do state that some of these projects could include a housing trust fund, homeown- ership programs, new housing initiatives and innovative solutions to meet the critical housing needs of the community. If approved, a tax increase for homeowners will be expected. See above for more details. is tax increase will take place in 2024. VOTE YES: You would approve of the bond, and $12 million would be used towards the building, planning, funding or renovating hous- ing projects, with the understanding there will be a tax increase for homeowners. VOTE NO: You do not approve of the bond, and no bond for housing improvements will go forward at this time. CHARTER AMENDMENT is amendment would change the structure of the City Council. Currently, the city council has nine members (excluding the mayor), each being elected from their district. is amend- ment would consolidate the nine districts into five. Each district would vote for one representa- tive. e other four members would be at-large - meaning the whole city could vote for them. ose against this amendment state that changing the structure of the city council would create more expensive city-wide races and add additional barriers to working-class people. Also, nothing is stopping all four at-large coun- cil members from being from the same dis- trict. Furthermore, they note that the proposed change will require districts to be redrawn and consolidated. e Vote No campaign states that this would attempt to dilute the voting power of minority voters. ose who support this amendment state that this would give people more representation. If approved, citizens of Fayetteville can vote for six people onto the city council versus the two they currently can vote for (their district representa- tive and the Mayor). VOTE YES: You approve the changing of the City Council structure so that five members are elected from five districts and four are elected at- large (from the city as a whole). VOTE NO: You do not approve of the change, and the City Council structure will remain the same, where each member is elected from one of nine separate districts. HANNAH LEE, Assistant Editor. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910-484-6200.