Mayor Meeker’s passion for spending money downtown knows no bounds. It tests the borders of the infinite.

First, he gets the city council to increase spending on his pink elephant Convention Center to $220 million. No sooner is that done than he gets the Council to spend three or four million on his English-style Roundabouts for Hillsborough Street. Then in the blink of an eye he turns around and says lets spend $20 million more on an art plaza for Fayetteville Street. The Mayor’s like a perpetual motion spending machine.

Last year, when there was uproar over Spanish artist Jaume Plensa’s proposal to charge $2.5 million for ‘sculpture’ for Fayetteville Street the city balked. $2.5 million sounded pretty extravagant. But at least businessman Jim Goodman was willing to pay for part of it.

Since then the Mayor’s had his ‘Planning Department’ working feverishly to come up with a new proposal and we’ve jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Now the Mayor wants to spend $11 million on his art plaza. Plus $10 million more on adjoining projects. A total cost of $21 million.

The mayor’s new design includes four light towers, power lines, phone lines and water pipes under the Plaza floor – and, oh, yes, supporters are already saying cutting costs even one penny will spell disaster in the future. Anything less than $21 million means ruin a year from now.

The Mayor usually gets what he wants from the City Council but this time he’s got some stiff opposition. Councilman Phil Isley says flat out, “I don’t think I’m going to support writing a big check.” And Councilman Tommy Craven agrees.

Councilwoman Jessie Taliaferro had the best idea of all. Mrs. Taliaferro wants to put the Mayor’s new project to a vote, saying, “Everything we’ve done [downtown so far] has been without the vote of the people.”

Amen.

Want to make a guess? Charlie Meeker may think his plaza is a grand idea. But he probably doesn’t think it’s a good enough idea to sell to voters. Mr. Isley, Mr. Craven and Mrs. Taliaferro may have found a way to restrain the Mayor’s passion at last.

Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles in our Forum.