I believe elections for public officials should be held one week after tax rates are set.

I believe that I do not want my tax dollars ($8 million-plus) given to an out-of-state company to build condos on a public parking lot.

I wonder why hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars are spent on items like a granite bench (art) that is too hard and uncomfortable for our city employees to sit on.

Recipe: High taxes, a town privilege tax, and town officials that are business adverse and coddle and encourage the homeless and panhandling equals empty downtown storefronts (tax base).

I dream of the day when city officials will be business friendly and the citizens of Chapel Hill/Carrboro will be able to shop within our city limits and keep their sales tax dollars here.

Our schools are excellent, but they are not free. There is property tax and the special school tax that rise each year. Test scores continuously going down may be impacted more by the fact that a huge percentage of those entering the school system do not speak English, are not legal citizens of this country, rent and do not pay the special property tax.

The buses here are free? Are you kidding me? I believe that tax dollars pay for the buses.

Roy Lee Carter

Chapel Hill

Editor's note: The money the town is spending on the Parking Lot 5-140 West Franklin project is to build underground parking at Church and West Franklin streets.