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.

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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