Carter Wrenn posted on February 11, 2008 12:06
Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker’s close amigo City Councilman Thomas Crowder has a plan to raise ‘Impact Fees’ – and it should warm the hearts of the Mayor’s developer-contributors downtown.
Instead of raising the fees (taxes) on everyone Crowder wants a tiered plan. Which means different fees for different folks. Who pays more? And who pays less?
People who buy homes or condominiums downtown pay less. People in southeast Raleigh pay less. And everyone buying a new home in North Raleigh pays more.
Of course, the Mayor and Crowder will deny in seven languages this means folks in North Raleigh are subsidizing folks elsewhere. They’ll say with straight faces that the cost of construction is cheaper on Fayetteville Street than Falls of the Neuse Road.
But here’s the bottom line. Mayor Meeker and Councilman Crowder (and fellow amigo Russell Stephenson) all live in one City Council District, District D, downtown. Where the ‘subsidies’ are going. Folks in Councilman Crowder’s District pay less. Folks in North Raleigh pay more.
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