Tax Hike Not Only Way to Fund More Wake Schools, Group Says

Raleigh, N.C. — Leaders of the local nonpartisan group on Monday pitched an alternative to a property tax increase to help pay for school construction in Wake County.

WakeUp Wake County's proposal calls for impact fees on new construction projects and a 1 percent real-estate transfer tax on all homes on the market.

"Because the school crisis is connected to growth and the population and school body, we've got to connect our funding to that growth as well,” said WakeUp Wake County Chairwoman Karen Rindge.

WakeUp leaders believe another multimillion-dollar school bond is more likely to pass if voters' property taxes do not increase. Under their plan, the two fees would potentially raise nearly $200 million.

Developers, however, say the proposed fees could discourage homebuyers.

“When you add a fee or a tax to new construction, or even existing homes, you are going to take people in our community who won't be able to purchase the American dream,” said Tim Minton, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County.

Both ideas require legislative approval. County commissioners are not considering either one, and the ideas are not on the legislative agenda.

Wake County supports a menu of options for all 100 counties. Those options include impact fees and real-estate transfer taxes. County commissioners, however, believe a better option in Wake, is a 1 cent sales tax to split between schools and transportation.

They believe that tax is spread out more evenly among all citizens, because it does not single out new homeowners or people buying another home in the county.

“If I lived in Wake County since 1978 and raised my children and moved, why would I pay another tax since I've lived here and have been paying taxes all my life?” County Commissioner Joe Bryan said.

WakeUp calls it fair growth funding, but county leaders believe it is unfair.

Late last year, a Blue Ribbon Committee, made up of local business and community leaders, did not support impact fees. The committee did recommend a real estate transfer tax, but the report said members were sharply divided.

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What part of illegal alien do you folks not understand? They are not supposed to be here. I was a doc office recently and the only word a mother beside of English was medicaid. They are substantial part of the destruction of America which is what the socialist portion of the Democratic party wants. Besides the school situation, there is the jail, food stamps, social security and drunk driving deaths issues.

JAFOinWF
February 21, 2007 3:11 p.m.

Nursevb8 - trust me I do see the whole picture, you are the shallow minded fool that thinks you have some right to claim ownership to a land that was stolen to begin with. Most illegal immigrants do not come to the US to traffic drugs and commit crimes, most come to work to send money home to a starving family that needs it far more than you do I'd imagine. They have every right to everything that you do because they are human beings that work just as hard and probably harder than you ever have. Money comes out of an illegal immigrants check just like it comes out of yours. It may not be as much because I doubt they make as much as you but they do contribute billions of dollars a year to Social Security that is a fact, look it up. People in this country are far too self-centered and greedy for me to even be slightly proud to call myself an American. I'd be perfectly willing to pay extra property, sales, and income taxes to help educate our future and I don't even have kids.

kma1005
February 20, 2007 9:35 p.m.

Gatsby - I agree. It doesn't seem to matter to some people what they have to pay - they just shell it out. SOme of the development going on is crazy!! Why does a family of four need a 4000 square foot house?? Just because you CAN afford it (and the number of foreclosures lately might mean that they actaully can't), doesn't mean you NEED it... We have become greedy as hell...

has had enough
February 20, 2007 2:47 p.m.

About time. I am 100% in favor of this. I voted against the last two bond issues because it is not fair that everyone pays the same when the people moving in are the ones that create the problem.

andyrey
February 20, 2007 12:28 p.m.

My daughter was nnot raised in NC but I paid taxes where she went to school, now she goes to college in another state and I pay higher rates there also. Why should my taxes go up for new schools? kma 1005, you're blind--they illegals may spend but they sure don't pay taxes/social security, and when the time comes, they'll get that too. Parents should not be here illegally and that therefore makes a child illegal and our taxes are fitting the birth and all thru life. Open your eyes and see the whole picture!