The Town of Leland has embarked upon an expansion of the ten-year-old Town Hall.  Town Hall was built at a cost of $10 million.  Leland taxpayers are still paying those construction costs.

 

Purportedly, this new expansion will add 60 offices, flexible office and meeting spaces, and enhanced evidence processing areas.  

 

Town of Leland has received 100% of construction drawings at a cost to taxpayers of $652,500.  Town of Leland is now advertising for bids.

 

Documentation suggests that Town of Leland has taken a $20 million loan to finance construction costs.  Budget documents reflect that the debt service on this loan was $1.6 million in fiscal year 23-24 and will be $2.7 million in fiscal year 24-25.

 

This extravagant and unnecessary expansion of Town Hall in the face of severe tax increases is unconscionable.  The Town of Leland received a roughly 30% tax increase last year through property revaluation.  Currently, Town of Leland is seeking a 17% tax increase for this year.  That represents a roughly 50% tax increase in two years!

 

Numerous Leland citizens have testified before the Council of the hardships the current taxes are placing on them.  Many are faced with the possibility of losing their homes.  Others have taken second jobs to pay their taxes.  Leland residents have begun to question whether they can afford to continue living in Leland.

 

One Leland resident testified that there are Leland residents still living on unpaved streets—some of which are almost in sight of the Town Hall building.  Unpaved streets in 2024?  Shameful!

 

Better Government for Leland finds it appalling that taxpayers living on unpaved streets and elderly citizens being forced from their homes would be taxed to pay for an extravagant, palatial government building.  Why should taxpayers be forced to dig deeper into their already-stretched purses to pay for an extravagant government building they don't want and they don't need?

 

Leland citizens deserve better than this!

 

Better Government for Leland urges the Town Council to cancel the planned Town Hall expansion.  It’s what the citizens of Leland want.  It’s the moral thing to do.