General Obligation Bond Public Hearings

County Commissioners held public hearings at their regular meeting on June 7 on the proposed general obligation bond orders to support (1) Open Spaces and (2) Public Housing.  David Nutter came forward to speak out in favor of the bonds.  David is a board member of Connect Buncombe, a local nonprofit that exists to support Buncombe County’s greenway-related goals as outlined in the county’s comprehensive plan. 

A Trust for Public Land representative also spoke in favor of the bands.  The Trust for Public Land is a San Francisco-based nonprofit with just under $150 million in assets that works alongside communities to “…create parks and protect land for people”.  This organization assisted the county’s efforts to put this bond deal together.  They have also helped put together a “citizen’s support group” to advocate on behalf of the Open Space bond deal. 

These nonprofits will do what they must to make sure this deal goes through. They are experienced and passionate on these matters. This is not their first rodeo.

 Forced Charitable Giving

It is good that people are out there, working in an organized manner to promote greenways and parks.  We applaud their primary objectives and agree that anyone with a few extra dollars to spare should be free to donate to whatever worthwhile charities they see fit.  People can also decide to volunteer their time to support these efforts.

However, if you are busy instead trying to find ways to make your dollars stretch “in these difficult times, ” maybe you would rather decide on your discretionary spending yourself instead of having the local government tax you and spend your money on this.  Let’s insist that government adopt some level of restraint when it comes to spending our money – especially as we head into a recession. Let’s demand some fiscal responsibility and a return to basics.  We’d all like to see more unicorns and rainbows around here, but let’s first ensure that the essentials are covered – like public safety and education.

What’s Next?

When it came time for commissioners to vote on whether to proceed with a bond referendum in November, they gave their approval.  This decision by your elected county representatives places the $70 million referenda on the November ballot.  Voters will have their chance then to voice their opposition or support.

With rates at their highest in over a decade, this is no time to borrow money. With taxpayers combatting historic inflation and a recession, we could really use a tax BREAK, not another tax increase.