Spencer: Taxation gone wild

Spencer is a small town that is spending money like it is a world-class metropolis. Its police force has been expanded to 22 sworn officers, which makes the town more heavily policed per capita than Salisbury or even Charlotte, New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. Recently, the board of aldermen approved changing the fire department to a full-time paid staff model. In addition, the board plans to expand the fire station at a cost equal to nearly twice the town’s current annual budget.

Right now, the town has the second highest tax rate in the county, a rate higher than the city of Charlotte. The fire department staffing change alone will increase the tax rate by almost 14 percent. The tax rate had already gone up over 14 percent beyond the revenue-neutral rate after the last revaluation. While it remains to be seen how much the expanded fire station will affect rates, based on the current debt service for the $2.8 million USDA loan for the new town hall, I estimate it will be nearly 30 percent above the existing tax rate and 33 percent above the revenue-neutral rate. By next year, my property tax bill will have gone up over 50 percent since I moved to Spencer in 2020. My retirement income certainly hasn’t gone up nearly as much.

In a recent newsletter, the town manager, who doesn’t live in the town and doesn’t pay taxes here, called the increased tax rate for the fire department staffing change an “investment.” When money leaves your pocket and you have no expectation of ever seeing it again, that’s not an investment, it’s an expense! I can’t wait to see how the town puts fire department salaries on their balance sheet and tracks them as an asset! Since the town manager is well-educated, I believe he knows full well the difference between an investment and an expense, so I can only conclude he is putting lipstick on a warthog and calling it a beauty queen.

I predict that Spencer’s upcoming budget will include substantial raises for the police and fire chiefs since they both now command larger forces. That’s the way I’ve observed organizations work throughout my career — first you advocate for more people, then you say that because you’re responsible for more people you deserve more pay. Ka-ching!

— Thomas Strini
Spencer

Call before you dig

There is one natural gas emergency I will never forget.

When I pulled into the driveway, a young couple approached me, crying and terrified, asking for help.

They were digging in their backyard, planning to plant a tree, when they struck a natural gas line. Pressurized natural gas gushed out of the severed line, frightening the young couple, prompting them to call Piedmont Natural Gas. After arriving on scene, I called local emergency responders, and a team of natural gas technicians to fix the damaged pipeline.

When the situation was safe, I pulled the couple aside and asked them if they called 811.

Their response… “we’ve never heard of 811.”

I’ve been a volunteer firefighter for 37 years and a Piedmont Natural Gas worker for 25 years, responding to hundreds of natural gas emergencies caused by excavating projects. In that time, I’ve heard many explanations for not calling 811 before digging.

Keeping our customers and communities safe is at the heart of what we do. It is important that our customers know to call 811 at least three business days before digging begins to have underground lines properly identified and marked. Calling 811 is free service that prevents injuries, outages and costly repairs before a landscaping or yard project begins.

Every April, there’s a surge of outdoor work and construction projects that involve digging. That’s why April is National Safe Digging Month, and I encourage everyone to plan ahead and call 811 before putting a shovel in the ground.

— Dwayne Westcott
Piedmont Natural Gas