“It’s my first campaign in 20 years and it’s a good feeling — and a humbling feeling — that people have put their trust in you,” said Byers of the win, looking ahead to the challenge of the new year. “I think that the ramifications of House Bill 1001 and how it affects the flow of revenue is going to be a big issue. There are a lot of changes that could take place based on what happens in the legislature (re-garding the Kernan-Shepherd report on government). There are a lot of unknowns out there.”
Booker was looking forward to another term on the council agreeing that the budget and House Bill 1001 are challenges in the coming two years.
“It’s always an issue to keep the budgets lean and mean and that’s not a real hard one to figure out,” said Booker. “House Bill 1001 is going to be an issue. Local units of government are going to have decreasing revenue. We won’t have as much here as other places in the state but it’s still an issue.
“The base for all of it is the economic development. It can all be solved with more good paying jobs.”
Gilliland will take his seat for the third time on the council, and once again it is taxes that he feels will be the big agenda item.
“I have a feeling that the legislature will tweak house Bill 1001,” he said. “It really doesn’t matter whether we (the Republicans) win or the Democrats — there’s only one pot of money. We have to do what’s right and maybe sometimes that’s not always popular.”