INC NEWS - Impact fees anyone? e: Column: City cuts would hurt arts scene in Durham (Herald-Sun)

[Melissa Rooney]

Anybody going to the PA meeting regarding 'more
progressive tax options' tonight from 7-9 PM at the
Roxboro Library Auditorium? I really wanted to be
there, but I can't make it. Perhaps this would be a
good time to bring up the issue of impact fees (solely
on new development), getting the PA behind an
initiative to pressure the Durham delegation and the
General Assembly, at large, to make the ability to
impose such impact fees consistent across the state of
NC...

Melissa

--- "Kelly Jarrett, DISC" <kjj1 at duke.edu> wrote:

> Once again, this kind of discussion is a good
> argument for impact fees 
> that would relieve some of the infrastructure
> expenses associated 
> w/growth that suck resources away from other
> priorities and services 
> needed by current residents and in core/established
> neighborhoods.
> 
> 
> 
> bragin at nc.rr.com wrote:
> > "The Non-City Agency funding changes being
> implemented by the City Council 
> > are attempting to address this."
> >
> > that's one of the key points right there, Mike.
> Read the news articles and you'd get the impression
> that staff came up with this idea all by themselves.
> But this is, as far as i am aware, a policy decision
> made by Council some time ago. 
> >
> > Why wasn't this communicated to the non-profits
> before the funding cycle began? For that matter, why
> wasn't the 54 cent property tax limit communicated
> to staff *before* the budget cycle began? If Council
> had a tax increase limit in mind, wouldn't it have
> made sense to let the manager and budget director
> know *before* they put the budget together? Or does
> someone actually think that by rejecting the
> proposed budget, our elected leaders look as though
> they are standing up for the taxpayers?
> >
> > Really, the whole budget process this year has
> been disgraceful.
> >
> > Barry Ragin
> > ---- Mike - Hotmail <mwshiflett at hotmail.com>
> wrote: 
> >
> > =============
> > Mr. Pickle's post is a good one to read.
> >
> > Durham City government is having difficultly
> addressing an ever increasing 
> > list of maintenance priorities while also trying
> to address the number of 
> > new initiatives that require additional funding.
> >
> > Everything (and every organization) from
> non-profits to DDI and Hayti 
> > Heritage Center are being asked to find more $$$
> themselves rather than 
> > continuing to ask the city for annual funding.
> >
> > The recent budget hearing at City Hall on Monday
> focused a lot of attention 
> > on many deserving non-profits that have been
> dependant on the city (and 
> > county) for on-going support.
> >
> > With ever increasing demands on providing basic
> services (police & fire 
> > protection, minimum housing code enforcement,
> roads, sewer and water, trash 
> > pickup/yard waste, other services) residents need
> to understand that there 
> > is not an unlimited amount of money to go around.
> >
> > Just reread Randy's post again.  City Hall can not
> do it all!
> >
> > The Non-City Agency funding changes being
> implemented by the City Council 
> > are attempting to address this.
> >
> > Agencies that have received annual allotments year
> after year will have to 
> > understand that this trend is not sustainable
> until core essential services 
> > and functions of city government can be
> accomplished.   The process change 
> > in handling grants and processing of applications
> had to change.
> >
> > I'm a supporter of the arts,  but I don't expect
> the city to delay paving a 
> > street/installing sidewalks or preventing a sewer
> leak to support an event 
> > I'd like to attend if it means by-passing these
> projects another two or 
> > three years!
> >
> > Except for Andy (Fraternal Order of Police seeking
> pay increases) I didn't 
> > hear anyone else speak on prioritizing those
> needs.
> >
> > The City and County will continue to fund Arts,
> youth programs, community 
> > development and crime (read gang) fighting
> non-profits in the future,  but 
> > not at the expense of providing the basic services
> we expect from them in a 
> > timely manner.
> >
> > The way this funding application and evaluation
> process has changed is 
> > appropriate for these austere times.
> >
> > But please be reassured that the city (as far as I
> am aware) is not 
> > abandoning NCA's.
> >
> > It's only trying to do the most with what it's got
> while providing seed 
> > money and smaller incremental funding for the
> dozens of well deserving non 
> > profits that need (not want) this support and have
> proven their worth to the 
> > community.
> >
> > It is also very logical for our elected officials
> and the manager to ask 
> > those departments that are currently in existence
> to assist in this process 
> > by providing transparent evaluations and
> accountability standards for the 
> > areas of expertise they have rather than
> continuing the practice of 
> > directing a Budget and Finance department to
> handle them.
> >
> > It made no sense to have non-profits submit grant
> proposals to the Budget 
> > and Finance Departments when some of them had
> basic missions that were more 
> > suited for review and evaluation under existing
> City Departments (Police, 
> > Neighborhood Improvement Services/Housing and
> Community Development, Parks 
> > and Recreation).
> >
> > It also didn't make any sense to have NCA's funded
> under a City budget that 
> > had mission statements that were clearly under the
> jurisdiction of Durham 
> > County (education, social services, judicial and
> court recidivism) roles.
> >
> > Mr. Pickle's post is full of facts and figures
> about how far behind we are 
> > in capital improvement projects and maintenance
> needs, even with the passage 
> > of the 2006 bond referendum.
> >
> > Until residents can say that they'd rather give
> non-profit's tens of 
> > thousands of taxpayer dollars each year instead of
> having a police officer 
> > on patrol or their graffiti removed quickly,  then
> we all will need to tuck 
> > in our belts and support the arts the way most
> people have over the years 
> > and that's by buying a ticket or sending in a
> donation to these valuable 
> > non-profits ourselves.
> >
> > Dependence on governmental funding (at any level)
> is going to get more and 
> > more scarce.
> >
> > Which would you want your tax dollars to go for as
> a priority?
> >
> > The City of Durham is trying to address both
> 'needs' while trying to not 
> > ignore either of them.
> >
> > Mike Shiflett
> >
> > ps-I am in total support of having a focus group
> of concerned citizens, 
> > artists, arts related non-profits and the Arts
> Council to meet with City 
> > staff, administration and elected officials to
> better define a process that 
> > addresses all three concerns (citizens,
> governmental responsibility, good 
> > will of supporting the Arts) regarding ongoing
> support of the Arts Master 
> > Plan.
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "RW Pickle" <randy at 27beverly.com>
> > To: <inc-list at durhaminc.org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 2:34 PM
> > Subject: Re: INC NEWS - Column: City cuts would
> hurt arts scene in Durham 
> > (Herald-Sun)
> 
=== message truncated ===>
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