Raleigh CSE Club Asks County Commissioners to do What the People Want–Challenge Proposed Massive Tax Increase

Raleigh – NC CSE held their monthly Raleigh CSE meeting around the subject of “Will Wake County Raise our Taxes,” relating to a request from the local school board asking for a 10 percent tax increase (5-cents per $100 of valuation) in property taxes for educational spending. Over 120 NC CSE activists, supporters, and concerned citizens crowded in a meeting room with standing room only at the Velvet Cloak Inn in Raleigh to challenge and plea with three Wake County Commissioners to not raise their taxes unnecessarily.

A NC CSE Activist asks the Wake County Commissioners a question.
The meeting room was filled with over 120 NC CSE members.

Jerry Agar, local talk radio host for WPTF 680 AM radio, agreed to moderate the meeting, but Jerry did little moderating. Once Agar opened the forum to questions, he had no problem getting people to participate in the meeting. Hands started flying up with several questions being emotionally charged. It was clear that attendees were concerned about the Wake County School Board requesting a 10 percent tax increase only 92 days after voters gave them permission to spend over $500 million of their tax money.

For over an hour the attendees pressed the chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, Michael Weeks and fellow commissioners, Kenn Gardner and Herb Council for an answer of what they were going to do to stop this tax increase. It was evident that the meeting attendees felt that they were hoodwinked by the Board of Education by their promise not to raise taxes during the bond referendum.

School Board officials heard about NC CSE’s meeting and asked to be part of the program, but time would not allow them to be part of the program this month, although they were encouraged to attend and participate. Several concerned public education people did attend. The next Raleigh CSE Club Meeting will include two Wake County School Board members who will have a chance to face the NC CSE members. The May meeting will focus on the subject: “Are there alternatives to raising taxes in order to provide adequate classroom funding?”

News about the meeting was seen on WTVD, Channel 11 news in Durham and an article was written in the Raleigh World.