Friday rally for meals tax

Durham County supporters of a 1 percent sales tax on prepared food are holding a rally Friday morning at Rockwood Filling Station, 2512 University Dr.

Voters decide Tuesday whether to add the tax on restaurant meals and takeout items.

Revenue from the tax is earmarked for recreational and cultural facilities, including a minor-league baseball museum, the Hayti Heritage Center and a museum of Durham history; for marketing Durham as a visitor destination; and for workforce training and cleaning up the town.

Hayti Center director Diane Pledger is emcee for Friday's rally. Speakers include former mayor Sylvia Kerckhoff, former Museum of Life and Science president Tom Krakauer and steering committee co-chairmen Robb Teer and Chuck Watts.

The 30-minute rally starts at 10:30 a.m.

The city's economic development office estimates the tax would bring in $5 million a year to start, and increase as new attractions draw increased restaurant traffic. The county and city have approved a $59 million list of projects to pay for through the tax, either with direct payment or debt service on bonds, over a nine-year period.

According to Reyn Bowman, CEO of Durham's visitors bureau, 32 nonprofits, boards and businesses have endorsed the tax, among them the Durham Appearance Advisory Group, Friends of Durham, Durham People's Alliance, TROSA and Downtown Durham, Inc.

Notable among opponents is the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, which contends the tax would unfairly burden the poor. Supporters claim it would mostly affect the middle class.

Opponents have also called the proposal a tax on food to pay for luxuries when Durham needs money for its schools, police salaries and infrastructure. Proponents call it "a taste for Durham's future," and claim it will help avoid property-tax rises.

As of this evening, the pro-tax Durham Prepared Meal Tax Committee has received $91,550 in cash and in-kind contributions. Durham Citizens Against the Food Tax, an opposition group, has received $26,570.45 worth of advertising air time and materials from the national anti-tax lobby Americans for Prosperity.

Durham Citizens Against the Food Tax was organized by Dallas Woodhouse, Americans for Prosperity's North Carolina director.

Largest beneficiaries of the meals-tax revenue would be the baseball museum and Hayti Center, at $14 million each.

The Civic Center is due $6 million, the Museum of Life and Science $5.5 million and the history museum and a "museum without walls" on Parrish Street $2 million each.