If Guilford County Commissioner Mike Winstead proposed giving his business taxpayer money, should he recuse himself from voting and/or accepting the incentives?

Commissioner Mike Winstead…lobbied to make mixed-use development eligible for incentives.

 

Under the current plan, only commercial and industrial developments could apply.  Apartment complexes and residential-commercial developments would be exempt.

 

“This is good for the real estate development,” said Winstead, co-owner of the Greensboro firm Mega Builders.  “And I think that people know that real estate housing is what needs help.”

 

Gerald Witt

Greensboro News and Record, September 17, 2009

 

 

Subsidizing multi-family housing construction?

 

I cannot believe that the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is considering offering the same tax rebate to developers of multi-family housing in Guilford County. Put on the table for consideration by multi-family housing developer/Commissioner Mike Winstead, this self-serving motion does little to serve the best interests of Guilford County. Houses aren’t selling, largely impacted by too much supply; apartment rentals are barely holding their own…and somehow with all that, it makes good sense in the minds of some to further glut the market by offering tax rebates to mulit-family developers to build more housing – driving up vacancy rates and therefore hurting the profitability and operability of existing properties.

 

…If the marketplace needs more multi-family housing, then builders will build it and the market will support it – without tax rebates.

 

Rob Bencini

September 17, 2009

 

 

OK...this is further evidence that your County Commissioners are NOT looking out for YOU, the taxpayer. Rather, this is blatant evidence that the Commissioners are looking out for their own selves!…Where are the folks who serve for the betterment of all and not just special interests?

 

StealYourFace

Greensboro News and Record Reader Comment, September 17, 2009

 

 

…that is downright hostile to existing property owners. It is, the way I see it and the way I hope other voters will as well, patronage to the development industry at the expense of the rest of us. There is enough pressure on real estate prices, our dumb county commissioners think economic development means incentivizing additional downward pressures.

 

…Let's see, Winstead builds mixed-use Winstead commons. The residential remains largely unsold two years later, now builder of vacant mixed use developments wants incentives for more mixed use development for a county anchored by the country's fourth most vacant city, which is shrinking in population.

 

This poorly considered tinkering could have serious long term negative consequences.

 

Roch101

Comments at EdCone.com, September 17, 2009