December 19, 2012: Vigil for Newtown, Connecticut

TOWN OF MORRISVILLE HOLDS SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CANDLELIGHT VIGIL

In the wake of the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the Town of Morrisville will hold a candlelight vigil on Wednesday, December 19th. Please join us at Morrisville Town Hall (100 Town Hall Drive) at 7:00 pm as we remember those that lost their lives, grieve with families who lost loved ones and appreciate those who dedicate their lives to the education of children.

Overflow parking will be available at the Morrisville Municipal Services Building, 260 Town Hall Dr.

To Everything There is a Season

To all who have asked.....  this is my season to work.  It is the season to begin the search for Morrisville's next town manager.  This is the season to offer information and advocate for passage of our Morrisville bond referenda.  It is the season to work to improve Morrisville's traffic congestion issues and bring transit options to the Heart of the Triangle.  It is ALWAYS the season to work on transportation and transit issues.  This is the season of ribbon cuttings and business open houses and the continuing work to form a cohesive Town Council.  It is the season of working toward a more inclusive community.  This is the season of historic preservation and long range financial planning.  It's the season for recognizing our Veterans and for giving thanks.

For me....  this is not the season to campaign for reelection.  Not now.  That season is yet to come. 

Past, Present, New Beginnings: Town Manager to Retire

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MORRISVILLE TOWN MANAGER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

MORRISVILLE, NC – John Whitson, Morrisville’s Town Manager has announced his intention to retire from North Carolina’s local government system after serving over 20 years. He has been the Town Manager in Morrisville for over nine years and in Lewisville for 11 years. His last day as Morrisville’s Town Manager will be December 14. “The experience has been rewarding,” said Mr. Whitson, adding that he has made lasting friendships along the way.

Mr. Whitson was hired in 1992 as Lewisville’s first manager shortly after Lewisville was incorporated. In Lewisville he led the development of the town’s first comprehensive plan; development and implementation of land use planning and administration; development of a downtown plan; implementation of the early stages of the downtown plan including the design and construction of a town square green and improvement of the town’s main roadway through downtown from two lanes to three lanes with sidewalks, curb and gutter, and decorative streetlamps; and he organized and coordinated the extension of the Forsyth County/Winston-Salem public sewer to downtown. He also planned and conducted a major annexation expanding the town from eight square miles to ten square miles and completing annexation agreements with both Clemmons and Winston-Salem.

In Morrisville Mr. Whitson will likely be most remembered for gaining approval to merge Morrisville’s water and sewer systems with Cary. Now, seven years following the merger, Morrisville utility customers are paying lower utility rates resulting in about 15 to 20 percent savings over the previous year. He has been responsible for the modernization of the town’s automation systems and management procedures especially the procedures involving public access to pending actions of the Town Council. He might also be remembered for gaining approval for a special census in 2004 which ultimately garnered Morrisville an additional $6.5 million in state/county shared revenues. Many elected officials and staff will remember Mr. Whitson for his pursuit of ideas requiring special authority from the North Carolina General Assembly such as collecting stormwater fees via the property tax bill and the authority to establish a Municipal Service District to convert private streets to public streets.

Mr. Whitson’s retirement will be short-lived. He has accepted the position of City Manager in Texarkana, Texas. The move will permit him and his wife, Lillian, to be closer to their daughter, Jessica, who lives and works in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Texarkana is also where Major Whitson served as the Military Comptroller of Red River Army Depot for three years and is only 120 miles from his hometown of Soper, Oklahoma. Mr. Whitson has worked for the public for 44 years which includes his 24 years of military service retiring in 1992 as an Aviation Branch Lieutenant Colonel. He was also a Master Army Aviator accumulating more than 4,000 hours of flight time, serving in both Korea and Saudi Arabia.

Town Council will be holding a Special Meeting on Tuesday, October 30 at 6:00 pm to discuss appointing an Interim Town Manager and the process for appointing a permanent Town Manager. It will be held at the Historic Christian Church of Morrisville, located at 222 Church Street. Overflow parking is available at the far end of the First Baptist Church parking lot across the street.

###

Contact:

John Whitson, Town Manager – 919.463.6150

Stephanie Smith, Public Information Officer – 919.463.6207

Vote YES November 6th!

2012 Bond Referendum Q&A

Q: Why is the town putting bond referendums on the November ballot?

A: There are several ways to finance the construction of major capital projects. Bond financing is often the most economical means of borrowing money for local governments and a vote of the public is required. This method of financing is used to fund capital projects that are above and beyond the scope of the annual operating budget. Since Morrisville, like most Towns, has few reserve funds set aside for major capital projects, issuing bonds is an option for financing those major projects.

Q: Why are the projects important to Morrisville?

A: With input from the community, the Town Council and staff have formed a Capital Improvements Project list. This list has been refined over time and prioritized based on rankings from community-wide surveys. Traffic improvements and Parks consistently rank very high on the list of capital projects identified by our citizens. With that in mind, Council unanimously approved placing bond funding of the NC54 Bypass project, Morrisville Aquatic and Fitness Center (MAFC) renovation and Morrisville Community Park Phase 3 on the November ballot. The parks and recreation projects will provide much needed investments in our leisure and healthy-living facilities, allowing us to meet increased demand for such amenities. The NC54 bypass will improve traffic safety and mobility on Chapel Hill Rd while providing motorists and emergency responders options for connectivity to Aviation Parkway and Airport Blvd.

Q: What will happen if the bonds don't pass?

A: If the bond referenda do not pass in November, the projects will remain high priorities for the Town. They will not move ahead, however, until an alternative funding source is identified.

Q: Who can vote for/against the bonds and how can they vote?

A: Morrisville residents registered to vote will have the opportunity to cast ballots on each of the two bond questions when they vote in November’s election. Those eligible residents not yet registered can do so until October 12 by visitng the Board of Elections website. Early voting begins October 18, and Election Day is November 6. In addition, any registered voter may vote absentee via mail by requesting a ballot in writing.

Q: If the bonds pass, how will it affect property tax payers?
A: Council and staff anticipate that a tax increase of up to four cents may be necessary if both bonds pass. This would equate to an increase of $10 per month on a home valued at $300,000.

Q: Are there any common misconceptions about the bonds referendum? If so, what are they?
A: Residents may believe that a bond vote is a vote to approve a particular project. Rather, a yes vote for a bond referendum is a vote to approve a funding mechanism. While the timing and the cost of the projects may change, the NC54 bypass, MAFC renovation and Morrisville Community Park Phase 3 are considered high priorities by Council. If General Obligation bonds are not used as a financing tool, the Council will have to find alternative ways to fund those projects.

Q: Has the town been successful is using bonds in the past? If so, how?

A: Yes!  Morrisville residents have approved General Obligation Bond referendums in 1991 and 2004. However, this particular Bond Referendum is unique in that this is the first time a tax increase will be incurred if the bonds pass.

Morrisville’s first successful bond votes were held in 1991 with the authorization of $9.7M:

• Public Bldg/Town Hall $1.6M 
• Parks & Recreation $1.3M 
• Streets Repairs $900k
• Sanitary Sewer $3.2M
• Water Improvements $2.7M

In 2004 the $13.7M bond referendums were approved for: 

• Public Safety Facilities $5.7M
• Parks & Recreation $4M
• Street Improvements $4M

Q: Include any other information voters should know.  

A: Further details regarding the 2012 Bond Referendum can be found at online and a public information session will be held at Morrisville Town Hall on Tuesday October 9th from 5:30 – 6:30 PM. You can also call the Morrisville Public Information Officer at 919.463.6207 with any specific questions.

4 Cents for BIG Improvements

Vote YES November 6th

Whistle While You Work

We dig up diamonds by the score

A thousand rubies, sometimes more

But we don't know what we dig 'em for

We dig, dig, dig-a-dig, dig

Such is the song of the 7 who labor as part of the Disney/Grimm tale.   They dig.  And dig.  And dig.  They work incredibly hard those 7.  And lyrics aside...... of course they know why they keep digging.  Even when hitting layers of rock, it's work worth doing.  For me.  Er, them.  They.  It's work that uncovers hidden gems.  Like:

• Our new neighbors in MSV with the dedication of our community's first Habitat for Humanity homes
• Historic preservation:  times many, thanks to many:
• Creation of Preservation Morrisville
• Funds appropriated to begin Pugh House restoration
• Historic Christian Church on track to become our 2nd historic landmark
• Another Anthemion Award, our 3rd consecutive award
• Luther Green honored with preservation of Shiloh history
• Investment in MSV:  an opportunity to vote YES! on bond financed projects
• Interest in our Town Center, with marketing underway to re-purpose retro Fire Station #1
• Steady progress on transportation improvements:
• Signal in progress, Morrisville-Carpenter Rd/Town Hall Dr
• Safety enhancements at school crossings, also in progress
• Design in progress, Morrisville-Carpenter Rd @ Progress Energy
• Design in progress, Morrisville Pkwy RR bridge
• NC54 and More study
• Wake Tech - master plan - done, building yet to come

It's good to be MSV. 

Or is it?  Now eight months into our work together, the current Morrisville Town Council continues the transition from campaigning to governing.  That transition has not been seamless and responsibility falls squarely on my shoulders.  I continue to look for opportunities to improve the outcome and last week's facilitated work session was a step in the right direction.  Not the final step, but a solid first one. 

The diamonds and rubies yet to unearth aren't going to surface without hard work.  Let's continue to dig. 

Investing in Morrisville - Vote YES November 6th

For the first time in 8 years, Morrisville will have an opportunity to approve bond funded investments in our community on November 6th.   Not to exceed $20M, the investments proposed are:

1. Construction of the NC54 bypass from McCrimmon Pkwy to Evans Rd and
2. Improvements to our parks and recreation facilities to include expansion of our Morrisville Aquatic and Fitness Center and addition of amenities to Morrisville Community Park

Our Mayor Pro Tem Liz Johnson presented an excellent primer on bond funding earlier this year, well worth a read.  The audio can be accessed by visiting the Mayor Pro Tem's town webpage and clicking the link under Town Hall Meeting.  For those with questions on our specific projects, click here to contact the Town of Morrisville staff.

This is an exciting opportunity for our community, one that will fund improvements to projects important to our residents.  The cost will depend on timing of design and construction, but is expected to add no more than $97.20 per year in taxes to the median priced Morrisville home .  I hope you will join me in supporting these investments in Morrisville's present and future. 

Shall the order adopted on July 24, 2012, authorizing not exceeding $5,700,000 PARKS AND RECREATIONAL BONDS of the Town of Morrisville, North Carolina, for the purpose of providing funds, together with any other available funds, for improving and expanding the existing park and recreational facilities of the Town and acquiring and constructing new park and recreational facilities of the Town, inside and outside its corporate limits, including, without limitation, the acquisition of any land, rights of way and equipment, and the authorization of the levy of taxes in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and the interest on said bonds, be approved?

YES [ ]

NO [ ]

Shall the order adopted on July 24, 2012, authorizing not exceeding $14,300,000 STREET IMPROVEMENT BONDS of the Town of Morrisville, North Carolina, for the purpose of providing funds, together with any other available funds, for constructing, reconstructing, widening and improving streets and related sidewalk, streetscape and utility improvements for the Town, inside and outside its corporate limits, including, without limitation, the acquisition of any necessary land, rights of way and equipment, and the authorization of the levy of taxes in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and the interest on said bonds, be approved?

YES [ ]

NO [ ] 

The door to safety swings on the hinges of common sense.

On July 29th, The Cary News published Aliana Ramos' article entitled Morrisville hears both sides of gun debate.  

Also on July 29th, email began arriving in my inbox from members of a group who believe they should be allowed to carry concealed handguns in the following Town of Morrisville parks and facilities:

• Morrisville Community Park
• Morrisville Aquatics and Fitness Center
• Shiloh Park
• Cedar Fork Community Center
• Crabtree Creek Nature Park
• Indian Creek Greenway Trailhead

I do not agree.  Guns do not belong on playgrounds or athletic fields. 

I do agree with the group's contention that restrictions being considered will not deter all gun violence.  We are a civilized community, a civilized state, a civilized nation.  What is needed are restrictions on gun and ammunition sales that mirror that civility. 

Mayors Against Illegal Guns

FY13 Budget Q&A

As reported on the Town's website and in The Cary News, Morrisville's FY13 $24.4M budget was finalized on June 26th.  By a vote of 5-2 (Council Member Diehl and I voted against the spending plan) the Council adopted a 12% year-over-year spending increase. 



I've received a number of questions regarding both the budget process and the product.  Among them:

Q:  What happened to the $5M fund balance surplus?
A:  The amount above council policy was $700k, not $5M.  By unanimous council approval, the overage (and then some) was appropriated in FY12 as follows:

• $500k to previously deferred road maintenance.  $384k (about one penny of our FY12 property taxes) was spent on Crabtree Crossing Pkwy.  The balance was spent on Slater Rd.
• $150k to fund vehicle replacements
• $100k to fund a traffic signal at Morrisville-Carpenter Rd and Town Hall Dr.

Q:  Does the $500k in additional road maintenance zero out the deferred list?
A:  No.  Our roads are beginning to show their age and current road maintenance needs are about $3M.  As roads are repaired, new ones are added to the deficient list.  The unfunded need will remain at $2.9M yearly until additional revenue is identified.

Q:  Why don't you ask for transportation impact fees?
A:  I have.  More than once.  The State Legislature believes that Cary, Apex, Holly Springs and Fuquay should have this authoirty but Morrisville should not.  Without authority from the Legislature, we cannot impose this fee.

Q:  What happened to your idea to budget for transportation grant "matching funds" as promised during your 2009 campaign?
A:  The amount staff recommended for the coming FY was $100k.  Assuming an 80%/20% split, $100k of local funds would have given us the green light to apply for $500k in transportation grants.  The amount was not included as part of the 12% increase. 

Q: What happened to your Transportation Task Force and can I serve on the committee?
A: The Task Force was not funded.  I am now looking at creating the group privately and will get back to you.

Q: Did the Town Council really approve $78k for a sidewalk in Cary?
A: Yes, by a vote of 5-2.

Q:  How many new police and firefighters will be added in the coming year:
A:  Police = 0 additional personnel.  Fire Dept = 3 additional personnel.

Q:  How much of our savings account will be needed for expenses in the coming year?
A:  In order to balance the 12% spending increase without raising taxes, the Council consensus was to use $800k - about 3% of the budget - of our fund balance.  The amount left in savings for the coming fiscal year remains within the council's policy.

Q:  What happens next year?
A:  Based on current projections, here's the answer:

Q: What will happen now to the bond projects?
A:  2 questions will appear on our November ballot:  $14.3M for road improvements, $5.7M for Parks/Rec.
 
Q:  Will the bond projects, if passed, require a tax increase?
A:  That depends on the will of the Town Council.  In the coming fiscal year the town will spend more than it takes in.  The Council can elect to take that same approach in subsequent years until our savings is depleted.  They can also cut current expenses equivalent to the amount of annual debt payment.  One council member has suggested dismantling our current professional fire department, staffing instead with volunteers 75% of the time,  in order to avoid a property tax increase.  Or the elected officials can raise taxes.
 
Q:  How does Morrisville compare with other Wake municipalities:
A:  We offer the 2nd lowest property tax rate in the county.  Cary is lower, but they bill residents $168/year for trash collection.  We offer the service as part of municipal operations with no additional charge to residents.

Q:  What's next?
A:   While I voted against this budget, I intend to support the plan as adopted.  However, I will continue to advocate for a stronger fiscal position in the coming years.   Until there is agreement on overall Town priorities among elected officials, a culture of austerity must be adopted by all in our community. 
 
 

 
 

Leadership: Morrisville's Town Center

Ten plus years ago, Morrisville town staff and elected officials began what would become the process to define our Town Center.  Envisioned as a vibrant gathering place centered around Morrisville's historic crossroads, our Town Center is taking shape S-L-O-W-L-Y.   But it is taking shape!

After ten years of public-public effort, it is time to look for a new approach.  In March, the Town Council reached consensus to continue shaping our Town Center through public-private partnerships.  Staff is in the process of developing an RFQ to gauge private interest, and details for a trip to visit Matthews, NC - to see first hand what has worked and what hasn't - are being finalized.  Our neighbors to the southwest have graciously agreed to share their experiences in creating a successful Town Center partnership.  Stay tuned! 

Lunch is Never Free aka You Get What You Pay For

As our Town Council moves into final deliberations on Morrisville's coming fiscal year budget, I welcome guest blogger TJ Cawley.  He raises some valid and well reasoned points.  TJ?

 
"I recently took an interest in learning how our budget is created and I am glad I did because I learned that Morrisville currently has a $2.9 million dollar backlog of roads which require routine repairs.

"Morrisville Town Council directed staff to prepare a budget predicated on maintaining the current property tax rate. This is unusual because a generally accepted budgeting principle is to first gather facts and then determine what tax rate is required to achieve an organizations mission and goals and adjust it as necessary. By fixing the tax rate in advance of gathering facts the process is undermined and it simply becomes an exercise of cutting expenditures until they match revenue. This would be fine if existing revenue streams exceeded the expenditures required to fulfill the towns mission and goals, but they do not. The tax rate has not been raised since 2005 and tax base growth has not adequately outpaced inflation. The resulting budget struggles to maintain current service levels, defers required maintenance and postpones actions that would enhance the town’s economy and quality of life for its residents.

"These past few months have been dedicated to the effort of “letting the people decide” what nice to haves they are willing to pay more taxes for in the form of bond referendums. Our representatives are really looking for permission to raise taxes and this method would give them “political cover”.

"Unfortunately they skipped the step where the residents are asked if they are willing to pay more taxes to fund the towns routine operations and maintain current assets. Morrisville has 4.6 miles of town owned roadways that require routine maintenance right now at a cost of $2.9 million. This unfunded core service need existed last year ($3.05 million) and will exist again next year ($2.9 million) unless the council provides dollars via the towns accumulated savings or increased tax revenue. A two cent tax increase ($20/year or $1.67/month for each $100k of your homes assessed value) will fully address our outstanding road maintenance liability within 5 years.

"How can the council responsibly entertain any other spending to enhance Morrisville while this core service deficiency remains? To put it simply they can not.

"Morrisville is able to balance the budget by continuing to defer its obligation to maintain the town’s assets on behalf of the residents. The council responded to resident’s desire for increased fire/rescue staffing and will respond again if you indicate that maintaining town roads is important. You can be part of the solution: Email TownCouncil@TownofMorrisville.org and indicate you either want your tax rate to remain fixed at .3665 (as it has been since 2005 despite inflation) OR you want a better town and are willing to pay for it. A modest increase will go a long way to a better Morrisville."

Have comments on our Town's approach to maintaining public infrastructure?  Send an email as TJ suggests above to our Morrisville Town Council.  Or attend this evening's June 12th public hearing and share your thoughts in person.  Town Council meetings begin promptly at 6:30 PM and the budget public hearing is near the top of the agenda.  You must sign in at the computer just to the left of the Town Council chamber double doors and comments should be 3 minutes or less.  Overflow parking, as always, is available across Town Hall Dr at Indian Creek Park or at Town offices located at 260 Town Hall Dr.

Two Hats...... One Community

Every once in awhile, a day that begins as ordinary as any becomes extraordinary.  Tuesday was one of those days, thanks to our Morrisville Police Department and Wake County Special Olympics.  It was a day when I didn't have to choose between one of the two hats I wear.  I got to wear both as a proud and grateful Mom and Mayor.

Hats off to our Morrisville PD!