Its deja vu all over again.

[Anonymous]

Cary Asks For Tax Revenue To Fund Proposed Aquatics Center
Supporters Believe Aquatic Center Would Boost Tourism

POSTED: 12:05 pm EDT August 30, 2004
UPDATED: 6:59 pm EDT August 30, 2004

CARY, N.C. -- Each year, officials claim the hotel/motel and the food and beverage taxes bring in a combined $21 million. Most of the money is set aside for Raleigh's new convention center and the RBC Center, but some money is left over every year. One town wants to use that money for fund its proposed aquatic center.

Cary Mayor Ernie McAlister told city officials Monday that the town is willing to chip in $15 million for the proposed aquatic center. He is asking city officials for another $15 million from the county's hotel/motel tax.

"This is clearly a project that will bring a number of people into the area and serve the purpose of tourism," McAlister said.

"It's very's big in Wake County. It's growing except we are at a wall where there is no more capacity," said Hill Carrow, who supports the facility.

The proposed aquatics project would have five pools.

"But to be able to create a facility where we are able to draw and attract events, to be a community facility, that's what this money is intended for, and why it's important," Carrow said.

Cary and Morrisville officials said a third of the revenue generated from the hotel/motel tax and more than a quarter of the funds generated by restaurants come from facilities in western Wake County.

"We feel like it's right and appropriate to reinvest some of those funds in the communities in which they originated, and this is a chance to do that," McAlister said.

Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker argues Cary residents get the benefit of the funds spent on the RBC center and those dedicated to Raleigh's new convention center. He said his priority is to determine which of the 18 projects will bring the most visitors and tourism dollars to Wake County.

However, Meeker admits an aquatics center could be a big draw.

"I think it's a very strong candidate. It'll be important to see how the county ranks it, but the city is going to be looking at that very carefully," he said.

Four of the five county commissioners listed Cary's Aquatic Center as one of their top priorities. The other projects that ranked high were the Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural Sciences.

Raleigh city councilmembers will discuss the issue over the next couple of weeks and then get together with commissioners to decide who gets what.

[Lurkie]

Please help me understand how this project and others like it i.e., SAS Soccer Park, Koka Booth Venue, Tennis facility, Roller skate site, USA baseball, public art; benefit me as an average tax payer.

I have lived here for nearly 50 years and probably paid 25K in Town Taxes. What I need is traffic solutions, better police coverage of our streets, water rates that don't penilize me if I try to save my lawn in a dry spell and relief from the threat of higher taxes to come to support the afore mentions benefits!

By the way I am not in business in Cary, I just live here.

[Anonymous]

Hill Carrow has been smart to align himself with the Chamber - isn't that who controls the mayor?

"But to be able to create a facility where we are able to draw and attract events, to be a community facility, that's what this money is intended for, and why it's important," Carrow said."

What a joke.

[johnb]

What is going on is an attempt to steal $15 million from the public treasury that should go to solve transportation and utility issues (the real city priorities) and give it to the city council's friends at the Triangle Swim Club and the Cary Swim Club.

That facility will not be a "public pool". The swim clubs will end up controlling access and scheduling. Just like the people complaining about CASL controlling public land used for soccer fields and blocking non CASL use of that land you and I will pay for their private organization's facilities.

There is nothing here beyond that. This isn't about city priorities, it's about TSC and CSC priorities.

[Anonymous]

Lurkie,

To answer your question. If you use the facility you benefit. Depending on how widely the facility is used that good for the overall quality of life. For anything that draws tourists, the local merchants benefit - and they are often the lobbyists behind such facilities. And they are among the biggest campaign financiers in town. Some of these facilities may help draw new employers to town as they are looking at quality of life.

All that is nice to have. Many of us like Cary because the QOL is high. The critical question is priorities. After cutting 70% from the road improvement budget and 60% from the parks and recreation budget, its hard to see how we can afford $15M for something thats nice but non-essential. The essentials are even more important in drawing new employers (and retaining the old ones) to town. And if you believe the propaganda in the last election we are close to seeing our bond rating down-graded if we keep on spending on non-essentials...or did I understand that incorrectly?

There's one other angle to the swim palace. The TOC is counting on a matching $15M from the County Commissioners. The funds come from a hotel and prepared meals tax set up by the NCGA. The County commissioners have already pledged 85% of those funds (over $600Million) over the next 30 years to the new Raleigh Convention Center and subsidized luxury hotel. They are now carving up the remaining 15%. Cary alone contributes about 20% of the taxes. Raleigh gets favorite treatment because their is a potentially large Democratic vote there in SE Raleigh. The Republican majority on the County commission know that Cary is a reliable Republican vote so they put the money where there is a chance of appealing to Democratic voters - in Raleigh. I can tell you half a dozen ways Cary gets the shaft from the Republican controlled County Commissioners - and as long as Cary voters knee-jerk elect the likes of Kenn Gardner and Tony Gurley, who routinely vote against Cary's interests, that likely will remain the case. IMHO the remaining money from the hotel and meals tax will wind up in downtown Raleigh with perhaps a token to keep us "happy". Afterall we got $1M for Baseball USA. What a "joke"!! Keep smiling.

stan

[Cathy]

Can you just IMAGINE what we're all in store for if Amendment One passes and they no longer have to get voter approval for Bond money??

Jeeeezzzz....

Cathy

[johnb]

The critical question is priorities. After cutting 70% from the road improvement budget and 60% from the parks and recreation budget, its hard to see how we can afford $15M for something thats nice but non-essential.

This is an excellent question even though it is not posed as such. Clearly no city council critter will dare post an answer here. I doubt any would dare answer it in email or at a city council meeting. How does one justify taking a meat cleaver to the essential funcitons/priorities of the city government and push for a $15 million handout to the special interests at the TSC and the CSC?