Every vote counts : Unofficial special election results favor road impact fees by one vote
Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/51976/
Thanks to one voter, Fayetteville has road impact fees — at least for now.
The impact fee ordinance was approved Tuesday 2, 015-2, 014, in the special election. The results will remain unofficial until April 20, which is the deadline for 23 overseas ballots to be returned.
The Washington County Election Commission will perform an internal audit of the ballots, said John Logan Burrow, commission chairman.
The last such audit — which took place in the runoff election between Adella Gray and Rick Osborne for Ward 1 of the Fayetteville City Council — reversed the outcome. The first count had Osborne up by two votes.
Burrow wouldn’t commit to when the internal audit would be finished, but in the last instance it was finished the following day and upheld by a subsequent recount. In this election there is a question of who would be able to call for a recount, he said.
Proponents of the fees have maintained they will put some of the cost of growth on those who are causing it. Opponents, however, argued the fees will hurt the economy by keeping commercial ventures from entering the city.
Both sides are waiting for official results, but the proponents were excited by the outcome based on the disparity in funds raised. Vote For Fayetteville, which supported the fees, raised $ 1, 000 while Citizens 4 Fayetteville, which opposed the fees, raised $ 40, 000, based on the latest funding reports.
“ This is a good win no matter what happens, ” said Lioneld Jordan, Ward 4 alderman and the primary sponsor of the fees.
Jordan said he is pleased with the result, and while he hopes it sticks, he says he finds the victory in his reaffirmed belief in democracy. He said that even with all the hard work by a small group of people and a few sleepless nights, he expected the measure would be defeated by a large margin because of the amount of money raised by the opposition.
“ We’ve taken it to the people and whether we win this thing or not I’ve seen the best of the people, ” Jordan said. “ We didn’t get plastered; we did good. ”
Jeff Erf, a member of Vote For Fayetteville, said he didn’t have any expectations going into the election, and he was pleased with the number of affirmative votes.
“ They spent $ 20 a vote and we spent about 50 cents a vote, so we got a better return, ” he joked.
Jim Bemis, another member of Vote For Fayetteville, shared the sentiment of excitement.
“ We feel like we’re the winners no matter what, ” he said. “ I feel it’s an incredible display of how the people can fight the growth machine. ”
Bemis said it will be interesting to watch the process unfold.
“ It’s unbelievable, ” said Mike Henry, a member of Citizens 4 Fayetteville, about the results.
Henry said that while he anticipates a recount by the commission, if the results stand all that’s left is to see if city officials pursue changes discussed before the vote.
“ I mean the voters have spoken, so if that’s the way it worked out then that’s the way it worked out, ” he said.
Henry said the group would support changes discussed prior to the election by Mayor Dan Coody and Jordan.
Jordan said he will consider the tiered approach at some point in the future, but not right away.
“ Let’s work with what they have voted for before we start changing things up, ” he said.
If the election stands, the fees will be charged to new development as follows:
• Residential — $ 2, 363 per dwelling (a duplex, for example, would be charged 2 x $ 2, 363, and a 12-unit apartment building would be charged 12 x $ 2, 363. )
• Nursing home — $ 1, 495 per 1, 000 square feet
• Manufactured home park — $ 1, 779 per pad
• Hotel / motel — $ 1, 319 per room
• Commercial / office — $ 2, 701 per 1, 000 square feet
• Industrial / warehouse — $ 1, 676 per 1, 000 square feet
• Industrial / mini-warehouse — $ 587 per 1, 000 square feet
The fees are estimated to generate an additional $ 3. 4 million per year for road improvements, which would be added to the $ 2. 5 million spent now. The improvements would be separate from those being paid with the 1-cent sales tax approved by voters last year.
Voters approved the tax to pay for $ 110 million in bonds last September. The bonds were to finance $ 68 million in road and trail projects, with the remainder of the issue to pay for the cost overruns of the city’s Wastewater System Improvement Project, which now has a price tag of $ 183 million.
The sales tax election was decided by 5, 838 voters, which was fewer than the number of people who voted for the ban on tobacco smoke in public places.
The special election on Tuesday attracted 4, 029 votes, with a total of 17 under votes, or ballots that were not clearly marked either way.