East Ward Town Hall Meeting
There was an East Ward Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, March 30, 2006 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at City Hall Council Chamber, Room 230. The three topics that interested me the most were higher taxes, the crime on Rich Avenue and the new Apartment Complex on New Walkertown Road.
What is a Property Tax Increase? Answer; when you pay more this year than you paid last year and you have not made any improvements to your property. Without changes in the Property Tax Rate, why are citizens of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County paying higher taxes. Answer; your property was reassessed to a higher value. Why don’t our elected officials just tell us they are raising our taxes, it is not the politically correct thing to do, especially in elections years.
There is a situation on Rich Avenue according to the people who live there; they are losing their neighborhood to drug dealers. There are loud parties that go on well into the night. Young people are taking over and making the older residents feel afraid. Hopefully, the Winston-Salem Police Department will correct this problem. Police Officers are showing up at community meetings and appear to be doing their job. The cooperation between the Police and Neighborhood Organizations is the best and only way to solve these problems. I have to congratulate Councilperson Joycelyn Johnson on her attention to complaints and having City Employees attend these community meetings. Also, kudos to Police Chief Norris and the men and women of the Winston-Salem Police Force for the help provided to our communities.
Who does the City Council represent? There is an African American Investment Group out of Charlotte, North Carolina that wants to build Town Houses on the site of Doctor Bruce’s old building on New Walkertown Road. There is nothing wrong with investing in East Winston and I encourage Economic Development in the East Ward, but when the residents of a community tell their Councilperson that this is not the right fit for their community, their wishes and desires should carry more weight than any out-of-town investors. Not only did the Community Organization and East Ward Real Estate Professional say that this was not the right location for more apartment houses, but they pointed out that these Town Houses would not sell at the asking price of $165,000.00 and up. When the residents on the West Side of Town did not want a Wal-Mart Superstore in their neighborhood, although a superstore would provide jobs and taxes for all the residents of Winston-Salem, it was not built in their community. I support residents deciding what will and will not be put into their communities. Why aren’t the same rights given to people who live in East Winston? What makes our neighborhoods so different from other parts of the City? Why can’t we decide what is best for us? Answer, because we do not vote in the numbers that will make ours voices heard at City Hall.
What is a Property Tax Increase? Answer; when you pay more this year than you paid last year and you have not made any improvements to your property. Without changes in the Property Tax Rate, why are citizens of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County paying higher taxes. Answer; your property was reassessed to a higher value. Why don’t our elected officials just tell us they are raising our taxes, it is not the politically correct thing to do, especially in elections years.
There is a situation on Rich Avenue according to the people who live there; they are losing their neighborhood to drug dealers. There are loud parties that go on well into the night. Young people are taking over and making the older residents feel afraid. Hopefully, the Winston-Salem Police Department will correct this problem. Police Officers are showing up at community meetings and appear to be doing their job. The cooperation between the Police and Neighborhood Organizations is the best and only way to solve these problems. I have to congratulate Councilperson Joycelyn Johnson on her attention to complaints and having City Employees attend these community meetings. Also, kudos to Police Chief Norris and the men and women of the Winston-Salem Police Force for the help provided to our communities.
Who does the City Council represent? There is an African American Investment Group out of Charlotte, North Carolina that wants to build Town Houses on the site of Doctor Bruce’s old building on New Walkertown Road. There is nothing wrong with investing in East Winston and I encourage Economic Development in the East Ward, but when the residents of a community tell their Councilperson that this is not the right fit for their community, their wishes and desires should carry more weight than any out-of-town investors. Not only did the Community Organization and East Ward Real Estate Professional say that this was not the right location for more apartment houses, but they pointed out that these Town Houses would not sell at the asking price of $165,000.00 and up. When the residents on the West Side of Town did not want a Wal-Mart Superstore in their neighborhood, although a superstore would provide jobs and taxes for all the residents of Winston-Salem, it was not built in their community. I support residents deciding what will and will not be put into their communities. Why aren’t the same rights given to people who live in East Winston? What makes our neighborhoods so different from other parts of the City? Why can’t we decide what is best for us? Answer, because we do not vote in the numbers that will make ours voices heard at City Hall.
posted by africanamericancaucusjbb at 3:25 PM
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