An Independent Examination of and Comment on Cary's Government

Cary deserves a government as interested in finding its shortcomings as it is in celebrating its accomplishments.

Cary is a good place to live. It is an attractive, prosperous, and generally well-managed town, with much to recommend it. Those of us who have chosen to make our homes here have good reasons to appreciate the quality of life Cary offers. But appreciating Cary is not the same as approving of everything its government does. Nor should the Town's considerable accomplishments excuse its failures.

CaryWatch exists because I believe the Town Council and administration have become too comfortable with their own success, too willing to congratulate themselves, and too reluctant to examine some serious shortcomings in the way our town is governed.

A Town of Awards and Accolades

Cary has received many awards and distinctions over the years. Some are substantial, well-earned recognitions of genuine achievement. Others are little more than promotional exercises, manufactured rankings, and internet clickbait. Unfortunately, the Town seems inclined to celebrate them all with equal enthusiasm. The resulting atmosphere of perpetual self-congratulation can make it difficult to distinguish genuine accomplishment from good publicity, and still more difficult to recognize problems that deserve attention.

Cary's Natural Environment

Among those problems is Cary's treatment of its natural environment. For all the Town's declarations of devotion to trees, open space, conservation, and environmental stewardship, its actual policies and practices too often fail to match its professed commitments. The disappearance of mature trees, the steady conversion of wooded land to development, and the treatment of open space as a resource to be managed, traded, or disposed of deserve considerably more scrutiny than they receive.

The question is not whether Cary has environmental plans, policies, and aspirations. It has an abundance of them. The question is what those plans have accomplished, what they have failed to accomplish, and what the Town intends to do about the difference.

Property Taxes in Cary and Wake County

A subject of particular concern is property taxation. North Carolina's property tax system is poorly understood, in part because the relationship among property valuations, tax rates, revenue-neutral rates, and actual tax collections is seldom explained clearly.

Revaluation does not automatically produce higher taxes, nor does a reduction in the tax rate necessarily produce lower taxes. CaryWatch will examine the system in detail, explain how it operates in Cary and Wake County, and distinguish changes in tax rates from changes in the amounts taxpayers actually pay.

These are not particularly difficult concepts, but their presentation by government officials often leaves citizens less informed than they ought to be.

The Town Budget and the Council's Responsibilities

Closely related is the Town's budget process. Cary's annual budget is the most important statement of the Town's priorities, yet it is presented through a process that gives the professional administration enormous influence over what the Council ultimately approves.

By the time council members are asked to adopt a budget, most of the important decisions have already been incorporated into an elaborate document prepared by the administration. Public hearings and council discussions may produce adjustments, but the fundamental question remains:

Is the Council independently determining how much government Cary needs and what its citizens should pay for it, or is it primarily approving the government its administration has decided to provide?

That distinction matters. The Council is elected to establish policy for the Town, clearly enunciate its priorities, scrutinize its expenditures, and hold the administration accountable. The administration is employed to carry out those decisions.

CaryWatch will examine whether that relationship works as it should, particularly when proposals for new programs, expanded services, additional employees, capital projects, and borrowing simply appear in successive budgets without Council input or oversight.

Growth in government is not necessarily evidence of waste, but neither is it evidence of necessity. Every proposed expenditure deserves an explanation more substantial than its inclusion in an approved plan.

CarySpeak: The Language of Government

There is also the matter of language. Cary has developed a distinctive vocabulary of governmental self-promotion, rich in aspirations, initiatives, partnerships, visions, strategic alignments, and commitments to excellence.

Much of this language is familiar to anyone who has read a consultant's report or attended a presentation by a public-relations professional. It sounds impressive, but too frequently communicates remarkably little.

I have come to think of it as CarySpeak. CaryWatch will translate such language into ordinary English whenever possible, identify claims that cannot be substantiated, and ask what measurable results have followed from the promises.

Citizens deserve straightforward explanations of what their government has done, what it proposes to do, what those things will cost, and what results they can reasonably expect. They do not need another vision statement.

Twenty Years of Asking Questions

For more than twenty years, I have participated in public discussions of Cary government, examining records, questioning official explanations, and commenting on the statements and actions of elected officials, administrators, and candidates for office. Much of my commentary has been critical, sometimes sharply so. Yet in all those years, to my knowledge, no one has demonstrated that any of my factual assertions was incorrect. I don't pretend to be infallible, and I welcome anyone who can show me otherwise. I will gladly acknowledge and correct any demonstrated error. Facts, after all, are facts, regardless of whose argument they support.

CaryWatch also welcomes contributions from others who have something worth saying about our town. Agreement with my opinions is neither expected nor required. Articles offering different perspectives are welcome for consideration. What matters is that factual claims can be substantiated, arguments are reasoned, and the purpose is to inform rather than to indulge in personal attacks or political quarrels. CaryWatch is not intended to be an echo chamber. It is intended to encourage serious examination of how Cary is governed and how it might be governed better.

Independence and Accountability

CaryWatch is not a political action committee, a campaign organization, or a vehicle for raising money. It does not exist to promote candidates, cultivate influence, or develop personal relationships with public officials.

Nor does it exist simply to criticize. Criticism is useful only insofar as it identifies something that deserves examination or improvement. Where Cary's government performs well, it should receive credit. Where it fails, it should be expected to explain why and to consider doing better.

Authorship and Responsibility

Unless otherwise indicated by a byline, all articles and commentary published on CaryWatch are written by me. The opinions expressed are my own, and I accept responsibility for the accuracy of the factual assertions I make.

Articles written by others will identify their authors. Readers are encouraged to challenge any factual assertion they believe to be incorrect, preferably with evidence that can be independently verified.

Suggestions for Consideration

Over the years, I've offered suggestions for improving the quality of life in Cary, particularly in environmental protection, responsible spending, and better government. CaryWatch gathers those proposals. I strongly encourage readers to submit their own suggestions for consideration and possible publication. The best ideas just might come from citizens whose voices have never been heard at Town Hall. Improving Cary benefits everyone.

What CaryWatch Will Examine

The subjects addressed here will extend beyond taxes, budgets, and the environment. They will include land-use decisions, municipal debt, public expenditures, consultant contracts, Town Council policies, public records, and other matters that affect the quality of life in Cary.

The common thread will be an insistence on facts and reasonable inferences therefrom, logical explanations, and accountability.

I have no particular desire to make friends or enemies through this website. I do hope to engage people who take Cary seriously enough to look beyond its promotional literature, question its assumptions, and examine the evidence for themselves.

Agreement is neither expected nor required. An interest in the facts is.

Cary is a good town. It can be a better one. But improvement begins with recognizing that even a town celebrated for its excellence has problems that cannot be solved by celebrating its excellence.

That is what CaryWatch is about.

Respectfully and joyfully submitted,

~George McDowell
George@BeautifyCary.org

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