Apr 04 2008
GOP Candidates Hit McCrory on Bobcats Arena
The candidates spent much of the hourlong debate answering questions about issues such as education, health care and transportation. But when the subject turned to taxes, Smith pounced.
McCrory, he said, presided over several tax hikes, including higher taxes on food and hotels.
The mayor said he’d kept the property tax low and other taxes were approved by voters in referendums.
“It’s hypocritical to say (you) follow the will of the people when 57 percent voted against the arena and the city built it anyway,” Smith shot back.
“Fred’s exactly right on the arena,” Orr added. “It all comes out of the public pocketbook.”
In a 2001 nonbinding referendum, Charlotte voters rejected a package that included a new uptown arena and several cultural projects.
The $342 million package would have been paid for largely with a countywide hotel-motel tax. The defeat sped the departure of the NBA Charlotte Hornets.
In 2003, with the promise of a new team, the mayor and City Council approved a new $265 million arena. It was financed largely with taxes on hotel rooms and car rentals, as well as the sale of city-owned property.
This is fair criticism towards McCrory. When the people vote against something and the government turns around and does it anyway that smacks of extreme arrogance. It’s a “we know better than you do” mentality from the elected officials. McCrory has also faced considerable criticism from conservatives regarding the lite rail and the half cent transit tax. In all fairness, the voters of Mecklenburg County voted 70% in favor of keeping the transit tax so I don’t necessarily hold that against him. I think most people against keeping the tax would have been more open to it had the money been spent on additional roads rather than LYNX, which is costing far more than it is taking in.
