Breakup of Mecklenburg County

[Raintree21]

I don't have an answer to that. Perhaps because you have VoIP. I also just spoke with a friend who works in CMPD dispatch and she said unless you call the individual department's 7-digit number, all calls (that are dialed as 911) go to the CMPD dispatch center and they transfer the calls as needed to the appropriate department.

[Miesian Corners]

Let's just be honest. Even if the northern towns split, I'm sure they'd soon find something wrong with their new government. It's the nature of the beast. We all complain about government.

But I say let them go. The less I have to see and hear of Karen Bentley, the better. While they're at it, District 6 can go with them. Together, Bill James and Karen Bentley can build a government that offers no services. Talk about low taxes.

[Justadude]

What would happen to Mecklenburg County property -- such as the public schools -- if a town were to break off? Would that property not still belong to Meck, meaning it would have to be purchased away at market value?

[monsoon]

I guess that would have to be balanced against the taxes already paid by the residents of the parts that would move which was used to purchase the property in the first place.

[Justadude]

^ I'm not sure that's legally feasible. North Meck HS, for instance, has been paid off for quite a long time and I wouldn't imagine that current Huntersville residents would have any specific claim to the property if they were to renounce Mecklenburg County citizenship. Same goes for any other County facilities that have been paid off already. It seems that Mecklenburg would have pretty significant leverage against the towns when it comes to the transfer of these properties; unless they had a mechanism in mind by which they could pay for construction of replacement facilities, they'd be at a severe disadvantage in negotiating a price for the property.

[monsoon]

^My guess is they probably wouldn't mind leaving N. Meck in Mecklenburg county.

[uptownliving]

I don't really care either way and realisitically I don't think this is going to happen anytime soon. But some more things that I think would have to worked out:

-The Bryton Interlocal Agreement where Meck Co taxes are going to pay for infrastrucutre in and around the development...would Meck be reimbursed for those costs?...and would the taxes in a new county or Iredell county be enough to cover the costs of paying off the loans?

-The recent Cable TV deal where Mecklenburg County's Credit rating was used to get a loan for some of the North Towns to purchase the cable system. Would the banks still honor that loan with a new county or Iredell County whose credit rating is not as good?

And what about the parks up around the Lake Normon area paid for by Mecklenburg County?

I think there are so many things that bind the North Towns to Mecklenburg physically and legally that it would be take a lot of work (and paying off a LOT of Lawyers) to get it all done.

[monsoon]

.....

-The recent Cable TV deal where Mecklenburg County's Credit rating was used to get a loan for some of the North Towns to purchase the cable system. Would the banks still honor that loan with a new county or Iredell County whose credit rating is not as good?.....

[uptownliving]

That's right. I think how the towns meet regularly with Mooresville should be replicated on the South side with Matthews/Weddington/Mint Hill/Monroe.