Council debates budget, hears from citizens

By Hugh Fisher
Kannapolis Citizen
The first regular meeting of the Kannapolis City Council was held on Monday, June 9, at the Kannapolis Train Station.
All council members were present. The invocation was given by Mayor Pro Tem Randy Cauthen.
The consent agenda was approved unanimously and included these items:
• An $874,464 installment financing agreement with Fifth Third Bank, formerly First Charter, for the Kannapolis Parkway water line.
• Powell Bill allotments for the 2008-09 fiscal year, adding all or part of 23 streets to the city’s system.
• An amendment to the capital project ordinance for the Rogers Lake Road Extension in the amount of $800,000.
The remainder of the two-hour session focused on a presentation of budget options recommended by city staff, followed by a public hearing and council discussion on the $45.6 million budget for fiscal year 2009.
A required public hearing on the budget drew comments from only three residents.
Jack Cuff spoke out on the need for more sources of water to supply Kannapolis.
“I am going to make a startling request, and I’m sure it is going to get everyone’s attention. I would like to pay more taxes,” Cuff said.
Cuff said he would like the city to hire “a competent firm” to search for new underground water sources, saying it’s not fair for longtime residents to face water restrictions and limitations on their personal freedoms due to the city’s expansion.
“I look out on my property and see my trees sagging, leaves falling off, and grass turning to brown hay,” Cuff said. “It’s exasperating.”
Archie Barnhardt praised Legg and council members but said he would like to see more support for elderly city residents.
Barnhardt, 81, spoke to the high cost of heating oil and high tax bills that those on fixed incomes must suffer.
He also asked council members to keep the tax rate attractive to bring in new businesses.
Deborah Carter, a Kannapolis native who’s recently returned to the area, spoke in favor of curbside recycling — much discussed recently, but not a part of the current budget.
With a price tag of more than $1 million to implement, a recycling program, while supported by the council, wouldn’t come cheap for the city or its residents.
“I would very happily pay a user fee” for curbside recycling, Carter said.
Following the public hearing, no major changes were put forward by council members or Mayor Bob Misenheimer. The recommendations of city staff seemed agreeable, for the most part.
The point of contention was the size and purpose of any tax cuts.
After asking for explanations of discrepancies in several items, Councilman Richard Anderson blasted the inadequacy of the proposed .7 cent property-tax cut approved by staff.
The current rate is 49.7 cents per $100 of value.
Cutting the tax rate by one cent would cost the city about $345,000 and would save the average property owner less than a dollar a month.
Staff estimates suggest that the decrease can easily be absorbed without causing harm to needed programs and expenditures, Legg said.
A property revaluation in Cabarrus County is adding about $3.2 million to the city’s revenue for the upcoming fiscal year.
Council members and Legg agreed that .7 cents was not much of a decrease.
“It gets us back to a whole number is really all it does,” Legg said.
“To me, that’s not really tax relief. That’s more a symbolic gesture,” Councilman Roger Haas said.
Anderson’s words were much harsher as he called the proposed decrease “a slap in the face.”
“There are folks suffering out there … We have a terrible economy at this point in time. The folks are hurting. They need relief,” he said.
Anderson told council members he would prefer the rate be cut to 45 cents per $100, but that he knows there is not support on the board for such a drastic cut.
Haas questioned Anderson’s figure based on previous talks.
“Last week it was 48 cents,” Haas said of the amount to which Anderson wanted to reduce the tax rate. “Today it’s 45. What will it be next?”
Discussion on the budget is slated to continue today (Wednesday) at 3 p.m. at the Kannapolis Train Station.
The budget is expected to come up for a vote at the regular council meeting on June 23.

Contact Hugh Fisher at 704-933-3450 or hfisher@ kannapoliscitizen.com.