Election 2011 - Tuesday November 8th

Calling all Morrisville voters: Tuesday, November 8th, between the hours of 6:30 AM and 7:30 PM, you will have an opportunity, a responsibility, to vote. You've no doubt seen the colorful campaign signs and heard the rhetoric. Perhaps you attended the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum or read statements posted as part of UNC TV's Voter Guide. Maybe you've looked through the candidates' campaign finance reports to see who received money from whom and who filed on time. Or not. Likely you've had a personal visit or phone call from at least one of our ten candidates. Surely you have received multiple campaign related mailers. And now the day of decision is fast approaching.

I've read every piece of candidate literature, every facebook post on their walls and every page of each of their websites. I've spoken to and shaken hands with all 10 candidates and listened to their stump speeches. In short, I've done my homework. And I am convinced that the Town of Morrisville could do no better than to re-elect our three incumbent candidates Liz Johnson, Pete Martin and Linda Lyons on Tuesday. All three have well served our Morrisville community, earning the respect and confidence of voters since 1999. They have brought to the Heart of the Triangle government professionalism, transparency, a strong sense of community and the 3rd lowest property tax rate in the county. I believe in the work Linda, Liz and Pete are doing to address transportation infrastructure issues, public safety, land use decisions and our community's desire for a vibrant Town Center, all while balancing taxpayer cost and benefit.

I hope you will join my family in supporting Mayor Pro Tem Pete Martin and Council Members Linda Lyons and Liz Johnson on Tuesday November 8th. (If you are unsure of your polling place or voter status, go here.) But regardless of your choices in our four Town Council races, please........ VOTE.

Why It's Good To Be Morrisville Part I

Every October, the Town of Morrisville staff and Council review the previous year’s financial performance by way of our post-audit Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. This year was no exception. In addition, at the Council’s October 25th business meeting, Town Manager John Whitson presented information on our Five Year Financial Performance using comparative data from the Office of the State Treasurer. Highlights for the five year period include:

· A town population increase of 32%
· S&P bond rating improvement of three positions to AA+
· Moody’s bond rating improvement of 4 positions to Aa2
· Per capita expenditure decrease of 31%
· Total expenditure decrease of 9%
· Doubling of town assets, from $46.8 million to $91.5 million
· A rollback of spending to below 2009 levels
· Fiscal Year 2011 revenues $500k higher than budgeted
· Fiscal Year 2011 expenditures $1.8 million lower than budgeted

In short, our Town’s austerity program has worked and worked well. We cut back, delayed, deferred and restructured, not by necessity but by design. Clear, consistent leadership from the Town Council and exceptional budget execution by Town Staff are responsible for Morrisville’s current financial picture. Our year end fund balance - or Town savings – now exceeds minimum policy by nearly $5 million.

In the coming months, Morrisville taxpayers will have opportunities to respond to this positive news, beginning with polling of our Citizen Survey Panel. We will use the input gathered to refine our Town’s long and short term financial goals and to determine appropriate levels of service delivery and infrastructure investment.

Earlier this summer, Money Magazine recognized Morrisville as the 7th most affordable community in the US. By design and through Staff and Town Council collaboration, our fiscally responsible approach to town government is working. Now let's move forward, together, on a fiscal philosophy that addresses our long term financial sustainability.