January 27, 2010 | Story by: Matt Young | Categories: Business, News
Cary, N. C. – Mayor Harold Weinbrecht delivered an optimistic and forward-thinking State of the Town Address to a packed house at the Cary Chamber “Eye Opener Breakfast” this morning at Prestonwood Country Club.
After introductions of the Cary Town Council and government officials in attendance, the Mayor began by talking about Cary as a great place to live and do business and proceeded to run off the many awards and accolades that Cary has received over the years.
Even in the throes of this recession, Cary is surviving, one might say on the verge of thriving. Cary’s unemployment rate “peaked” at 6.9% in July, Weinbrecht explained, and is now at 6.2% (versus North Carolina at 11%). He pointed out, as a sign of things to come, the division of Deutsche Bank’ AG’s move to Cary (approved in August 2009) bringing more than 300 jobs with an average salary of $88,000/year. This, the mayor said, “says a lot”.
Growth
Mayor Weinbrecht stated that Cary’s population today is 139,000 - “within the 3% we planned for.” He believes that growth will moderate over the years and go to 35% growth in 20 years. “Today we are close to build-out”, he commented. He went on to explain that buildings, including homes, are getting smaller. He touched on Cary’s new diversity and commented on the Asian population growth that is at 12.4% today. The Mayor dismissed the discussions about a Morrisville-Cary merger as simply an off-hand conversation.
He made a plea for all citizens to complete the census being executed in March of this year as funding to the town will be based on this.
Events as a Source of Town Revenue
The Mayor talked about the new sources of Cary revenue coming from NCAA and other sporting events, which are part of the “plan”. He mentioned Cary’s Tennis Park and the USTA events held there, the USA National Baseball Training Complex and focused on the $3m in revenue Cary received from the NCAA Soccer Championship games held here.
The Short-term Future
Harold Weinbrecht boasted about Cary’s deserved reputation as one of the safest places to live and that we had a 16% drop in violent crime from 2008 to 2009. Continuing the effort, the Mayor mentioned bringing in more police officers , geo-policing and surveillance technologies. He went on to speak about transportation and the increased mobility of our nation, Caryites included.
“In a few years, we will see increased buses, and the advent of light rail.”
But this alone, he added will not solve our congestion problems.
He touched on the desire to use new social media techniques and the use of on-line surveys to involve the community in Cary’s future. Also, the Town is beginning to deploy virtual planning tools to allow for easier and more efficient preparation for the future. The automation of utilities will continue with Aquastar electronic meter reading which will save us $2-$4m/year.
Green Cary
Mayor Weinbrecht spent some time talking about Cary’s “Green” Projects and the advisory boards formed to make progress in this area. Our new recycling process now allows for 20% more materials being recycled versus the old system. Cary’s Chamber and Cary participate in Green Plus which connects small employers with online green assessment tools. The Town sponsors ”Spruce” – a volunteer-based program designed to connect citizens to beautification, litter reduction, and environmental service projects in our community. He cited our Green MacDonald’s and our implementation plans for solar power.
Hard Choices
Over 380 capital projects are in the Town’s plans. Nearly $90m worth have been delayed or postponed in the spirit of fiscal conservatism. The town will focus on “priority projects“, the Mayor said. There is still $413m on the table to be dedicated to parks, roads and quality of life, he reported.
“We are in great shape regarding our debt, and there is no need to raise taxes in the next few years.”
The Mayor went on to say that despite this “…we remain as the the town with the lowest tax rate in Wake County.”
The Future Will Continue to be Bright
The message was promising. He explained to the crowd that we are ”in great shape to continue to lead the region in this long, slow economic recovery”. The Mayor said “how blessed we are” to live in Cary with such a high quality of life, and that he has been gifted with a great staff. He closed by mentioning how honored he is to serve such a community.
The Mayor is known for his unassuming and genuine style. This address was not an exception to that reputation.
