BCR's Daily Fishwrap Report for May 7, 2009

A reminder: Durham city manager Tom Bonfield will be Barry and my guest on "Shooting the Bull" tonight (7:30pm, WXDU 88.7 FM or wxdu.org). Thanks to those who've posted questions for Bonfield in the comments or via email; we'll use some of those for tonight's interview.

In today's fishwraps:

• Bonfield expects to release FY'10 budget details in the next few in advance of the budget proposal's May 18 unveiling. The H-S reports that revenue next year is projected to drop by $10m against costs increasing by the same amount; layoffs remain possible, as are cuts in City programs, fee increases, and -- potentially -- axing pay increases, though the manager "deflected" that question, according to the H-S.
• Ray Gronberg has an intriguing story today on a "reported $4,000 contribution" from state superintendent (and current K-12 lame duck) June Atkinson to the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People -- which would be a no-no if a campaign contribution, since Atkinson took part in a pilot public campaign finance program in N.C. that forbids such transfers. Atkinson says it was a $400 check for mailing/postage supplies (which would align with the Committee's purported strategy of raising funds from endorsed campaigns to get the vote out), while the DCABP's books show it as $4,000 from check 1123. (Atkinson faxed a statement to the H-S showing that check number written out for $400.) (H-S)
• Durham officials can breathe easier as a proposal to transfer many state roads to cities to maintain won't be pushed in the state Senate this year, giving DOT officials and the head of the NC Metropolitan Coalition time to figure out state subsidies that could make the proposal more palatable to cities. (H-S)
• Durham's median home selling price dropped by 7% and units sold by 32% in the first quarter of 2009 vs. 2008 -- with lower prices for resale homes putting the squeeze on builders looking to build "entry-level housing" that otherwise should be doing well due to the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit. (H-S)
• Burt's Bees will complete its relocation to American Tobacco by May 11, subleasing the space from Motricity -- which itself is subleasing some of Burt's Bees old space down in Morrisville. (TBJ)
• Southwest lovers, take note: LUV will be cutting one daily flight apiece for multiple cities from RDU on Aug. 16. MDW goes to three dailies; BNA four; MCO three; and PHL, five. So whether you're traveling to UIC, MTSU, or WDW -- if you need maximum schedule flexibility, you'll be a little bit SOL. (N&O)
• Bayer CropScience -- which has its North American headquarters in RTP -- will add another 128 jobs in Morrisville over the next five years with a new R&D center. (N&O)

Comments

[BagManofAlcatraz]

That's not the only problem with the Durham Committee's fourth quarter financial report for 2008 -- the amount they say they received from the Democratic Party does not equal what the Dem Party's records show they gave them.... and the real question is where the money they say Atkinson gave them really came from.

The Committee has filed late chronically and filed sloppy reports for years. I have complained to the state board of elections but the truth is that there is no teeth and not enough staff (if any) devoted to enforcement and there are laughable penalties in this state for falsifying and failing to file finance disclosure reports. It's a bad flaw in the system.

In the meantime, all of the Committee's reports need to be audited.

[KeepDurhamDifferent!]

I'm very disappointed the roads funding issue was shelved, as I think cities should have more leeway with their local transportation spending. Such a move might have allowed Durham to exert more control over the Duke/Gregson speedway, for example.

(I speak for myself and not as vice chair of the DCLP.)