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Volume43,Number33_WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.-THURSDAY, April 20, 2017
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BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE ______
What is the appraisal process used for homes in the
area? What can residents do about gerrymandering and
the location of voting precincts? How do the decisions in
Raleigh impact the families and communities in Winston
Salem?
Those were just a few of the questions raised during a
town hall meeting hosted by NC 71st District Rep. Evelyn
Terry earlier this week. During the event held at the
Enterprise Center residents let it be known early that they
had concerns about the drop in value of their property.
While an appraisal completed to re-evaluate the prop
erty values in the county shows an increase of about b per
cent and 70 percent of homes increased in value for the
entire county, properties in the east and the south, which
is in the 71st District, saw a decline in property tax values.
One man said his home depreciated by $19,000.
Longtime city resident Hazel Mack said there needs to be
a new process to get the true value of homes in the area.
She mentioned that a lot of people in the area have made
improvements to their homes that aren t reflected on the
property value.
“We need another method to determine value other
than sales,” said Mack. “In our community, we’re still
being affected by the mortgage crisis.”
When asked how the property value is assessed,
County Tax Accessor John Burgiss said appraisals on all
properties in Forsyth County are completed every four
years and are based on the sale of similar properties in the
immediate area.
See Property on A8
'
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I rally was held at ( ity llall in support of the Welcoming City resolution before Monday's City Council meeting.
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Community support vs.
Raleigh intimidation
Welcoming City
resolution pulled
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The controversial but highly sup
ported Welcoming City resolution
was pulled from consideration during
a City Council meeting on Monday,
April 17.
The resolution attempts to reas
sure immigrants and refugees after
the Trump administration broadened
immigration enforcement and repeat
edly attempted to ban travelers and
refugees from Muslim majority coun
tries.
Its author, City Council Membei
Dan Besse, said he is going to try a
new approach of getting clergy, com
munity leaders and other elected offi
cials to join council members ir
endorsing the resolution.
The resolution came about aftei
the council was asked to adopt i
Sanctuary City petition by the
Sanctuary City Coalition, which
includes groups like the Ministers’
Conference of Winston-Salem and
Vicinity. In order to not run afoul of
state law and a federal executive
order prohibiting sanctuary cities,
which usually don’t cooperate with
federal immigration enforcement, a
Welcoming City resolution was creat
ed. It says the city “takes pride in
serving and protecting” all residents
and “opposes any measures which
target populations within our diverse
community for legal scrutiny or other
challenges.” It doesn’t prohibit the
city from cooperating with immigra
tion enforcement and the city attorney
found it broke no law.
Despite this, during a meeting in
Raleigh on March 29, the City
Council was told by its legislative
delegation to drop the matter. Council
members were told no matter what
the resolution said, that some legisla
tors will view it as challenge to the
Sanctuary City ban and may retaliate.
Over the past few months, sup
porters of the Welcoming City resolu
tion have been more numerous than
opponents at City Council meetings.
About 1,000 people have signed the
Sanctuary City petition.
Last week, an interfaith event at
Temple Emanuel with clergy and sup
porters drew more than 155 people as
they spoke out for the resolution.
“For the Christians among us, we
have a different Executive Order - to
love our neighbor and even our ene
mies, to welcome the stranger as
Christ among us,” said Rev. Kelly
Carpenter of Green Street United
Methodist Church.
At a rally held just hours before
the council meeting, close to 150 sup
porters gathered outside City Hall.
They reiterated the need for the reso
lution and denounced legislators that
oppose it.
“The Welcoming City resolution,
there’s nothing illegal about it,” said
Sanctuary City Coalition’s Danny
Timpona. “It follows state law, it fol
lows federal law. What are they
See Welcoming on A2
mm
WINSTON-SALEM TRANSIT AUTHORITY
Adams
Council considers
new tax to cover
new bus service
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE ____
The City Council is considering adding night and
weekend service to 10 bus routes and raising property
taxes an addition
al half cent to
cover it.
On Jan. 2, the
Winston-Salem
Transit Authority
replaced its old
routes with 30
new ones, includ
ing new circulator
and crosstown
routes. The
biggest route overhaul in WSTA history was designed to
reduce ride time and provide more direct routes to desti
nations, but proved controversial when many complained
they lost service.
See Tax on A8
*004*014*******BRM CARRTLOT 0365A**C016
ADMINSTRATION
FORSYTH COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
* 201 N CHESTNUT ST
WINSTON SALEM. NC 27101-4120 01
HBCU students, alums to lobby for support in D.C.
BY CASH MICHAELS
FOR THE CHRONICLE___
A national gathering of students from histori
cally black colleges and universities (HBCUs), co
organized by an alumnus of Winston-Salem State
University, is scheduled for next week in
Washington, D.C., targeting lawmakers to do
more to help their schools survive.
Scheduled for next Thursday, April 27, the
“HBCU Dav of Action” is a rally on Capital Hill
geared to “urge the White House, members ot
Congress, and state and local officials to maintain
funding and increase resources for the hundreds of
thousands of students enrolled at HBCUs every
year,” says the event sponsor, The HBCU
Collective.
“Alumni and students play an integral role in
preserving and growing our HBCUs,” Winston
Salem State University 2008 alumnus Robert
Stephens, a co-leader of the Collective, told The
Koot.com. we re nere iu nmc vui vi^vw
officials see and feel the importance of HBCUs -
and we’re here to hold them accountable for their
support.”
Stephens was WSSU student body president
for 2007-08 and has served as a board member for
the WSSU Young Alumni Council.
Joining the other over 100 HBCUs from across
the nation that will be sending student representa
See HBCIJ on A8
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