It is too bad that our Mayor and City Council did not spend the time and effort into maintaining our water/sewer system and roads as they spend on pet projects such as the convention center and baseball stadium. Their first priority should be to maintain critical infrastructure and the more recreational projects should only be considered in a sunny day situation (certainly not with the current economy).

Through the many years of paying taxes I assumed that our local government was being responsible and setting aside funds to maintain critical infrastructure. We have all learned otherwise! The neglect of our water system led the county and city government into throwing the political baseball over the wall with the creation of the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority. Rather than facing the political fallout of a massive tax increase to make up for the years of mismanagement we were just forced to accept massive (and ever increasing) rates.

More recently we have also been subjected to a tax increase to cover needed road repairs which again should have been covered in existing taxes.

Perhaps a new makeup of city and county government is in order? it seems that many of these decisions are being made through the eyes of Realtors.