Former CLT mayor: Voters need to hear more about bonds on the ballot

More than 600,000 absentee ballots have been mailed out to NC voters this month. It is great to hear that the word has gotten out about the importance of voting in the 2020 elections. There is a lot more than the presidential election on the ballot, and so-called “down ballot” races impact many aspects of life in North Carolina. State offices from governor on down to local offices like county commissioners are on your ballot, and you need to weigh in on all of these.

For Charlotte voters, there is one more thing on the ballot – capital bonds. Until I received my ballot, I had not heard anything about these bonds. As a former mayor and county commission chair, I have seen a lot of bond campaigns. Usually our business community is supportive enough to help with a bond information campaign in these situations, but I have not seen signs of any campaign this year. I called several Charlotte City Council members who did not remember many specifics about these bonds, and heard from some sources that there was a “sense” that the bonds were going to pass anyway, so there was not much need for advertising.

I beg to differ. There is no guarantee that voters will support this capital spending without more information. Charlotte voters need facts. There is a total of $196.7 million on the ballot, including money for housing, streets, and neighborhoods. How will this additional debt service affect the city budget in the coming year, when we are already having to cut back on basic services as tax revenues fall? Why does the city not need to delay capital projects, as many other cities are doing? According to a July 9 article on cities and COVID by the National League of Cities, “...65% of cities indicate that they are delaying or completely canceling capital outlays and infrastructure projects, and 61% say they are delaying or canceling equipment purchases...”

Other than a brief summary of bonds on the ballot in the Charlotte Observer voter guide, the only thing I found on the web with respect to Charlotte’s bonds was two-paragraphs on the City of Charlotte’s web site with a promise of more information to come.

I hope that voters will get this information soon. Bond issuances of almost $200 million during a pandemic and recession should be big news. Many voters will fill out absentee ballots before they get any detail on these bonds.

I am one of those voters looking for that information, and I hope it is forthcoming. It needs to be put out in multiple media outlets, before all voters fill out their absentee ballots. Votes for bonds should not be taken for granted. How is Charlotte different from other cities that are delaying capital projects? What are the urgent projects on the list that need funding now in spite of the current recession and its health and human service needs? Have any capital projects changed in nature or in priority in response to current conditions, including the growing threat from climate change and its impacts (such as bike lanes or all-electric buses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions), and the need to support racial justice and equity (such as in housing policy) in our capital projects and spending?

This voter looks forward to hearing more, and soon, so I can safely mail my ballot in, in time to be counted.

This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 2:20 PM.