2006

301 tax considered

Slugline Publication Date Section(s) Page Byline 301 survey The Wilson Daily Times September 15, 2006 Local News A2

By Matthew Shaw Daily Times Staff Writer Property owners along U.S. 301 are now being asked if they'd be willing to pay for improvements to the highway's appearance and safety and, if so, how much. The city recently mailed surveys to commercial and residential property owners along the 301 corridor through town. A copy is also available at the city's Web site (www.wilsonnc.org). The questionnaires ask respondents about housing, economic development, safety and aesthetics along the highway. They are also asked to prioritize the area's greatest needs. But a large portion of the survey is devoted to the possible creation of a special tax district along the corridor. This would mean that property owners would be asked to pay additional money above their typical property tax bills. If respondents say they would support a district, the survey asks what would be an appropriate amount for the tax rate, with suggestions ranging from 2.5 cents to 20 cents. Those would increase the tax bill for a $20,000 property anywhere from $5 to $40 a year. Revenues could be used to hire a city staff person who'd work exclusively on improving the 301 corridor. Other options would be landscaping, business incentives or as a local match for state or federal loans. The city's planning staff sent the surveys out at the request of the Highway 301 Advisory Committee, which will meet next week to review the responses so far. "We had always envisioned doing a survey at some point as a way to check our progression," said committee chair Hattie Ellis. "We want to know better where we're at and what our needs are." The committee has been working since 2003 to enact the recommendations of the Highway 301

Task Force, Ellis said Thursday. "We are making progress, but if you have a key interest in this area, progress is slower than you'd hope it would be," she said. "It's an area that really needs full-time attention. Our committee is only meeting once a month and we don't have full-time staff to follow up." Janet Holland, the city's assistant director of development services, said that a tax district could possibly fund a full-time position with a title like "301 development director." But it's possible that the city could create that position without the district, due to the importance of the 301 corridor, she said. "We do feel like this impacts all of the city." The city currently has a downtown tax district, which creates revenues for the Wilson Downtown Development Corporation. mshaw@wilsondaily.com | 265-7878 COMING SATURDAY, a look at U.S. 301 three years after a task force's recommendations, what's working, what's not and who should foot the bill.