The Mount Airy News’ home base on North Renfro Street is a place where reports about local events are generated, but now is a news subject itself concerning the proposed expansion of a special downtown tax district.
City officials are considering whether to add more territory to the Municipal Service District (MSD) that encompasses much of the central business district — with the newspaper site targeted specifically.
Owners of buildings and land within the MSD boundaries pay a tax in addition to regular property taxes. It funds off-street parking lots, lighting, landscaping, signage and other facilities and programs that collectively benefit everyone in the district, which was formed in 1975.
The special tax is levied at the rate of 21 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, generating about $127,000 annually, compared to the property tax rate of 60 cents.
Officials of Mount Airy Downtown Inc., a group that spearheads projects using Municipal Service District revenues, have requested that city government leaders consider adding the newspaper property to the MSD mix.
This occurred per a requirement calling for Mount Airy Downtown to periodically review the boundaries of the tax district and recommend logical additions to the city commissioners.
“That discussion has been going on for a couple of years,” said Bryan Grote, the president of the Mount Airy Downtown governing board, which recently reviewed the matter and voted in favor of the boundary expansion including the News site.
Grote was speaking at a May 2 meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners, which voted then to set a required public hearing on the proposal for its first regular meeting next month, on June 6.
The Municipal Service District — now containing about 86 acres — last was expanded in 2014 to include the former Spencer’s textile property on Franklin and Willow streets, along with other sites.
Thirty years makes difference
Two separate parcels occupied by The Mount Airy News are eyed in the latest expansion proposal, totaling about 1.26 acres adjoining the present MSD boundary, according to Mount Airy Downtown Inc. documents.
Those sites are situated on North Renfro Street between Independence Boulevard and Oak Street, which are owned by APG (Adams Publishing Group) Real Properties of Mount Airy LLC, a company in Minnesota.
The Mount Airy News is part of the Adams Publishing Group newspaper chain.
Mount Airy News officials historically have opposed the newspaper’s inclusion in the Municipal Service District, notably in the early 1990s when then-Publisher George Summerlin launched a vigorous effort along those lines.
That included lawsuit threats and investigative reports focusing on MSD finances and related issues.
The newspaper subsequently was kept out of the special district due to the fact it was deemed a manufacturing facility (for various publications) and therefore not a retailer as are most entities in the MSD.
“However, manufacturing no longer occurs on the site,” Mount Airy Downtown documents state, referring to the fact that editions of the local newspaper and its sister publications are now printed out of town.
“And The Mount Airy News has disclosed that it will be seeking to relocate its operations and agreed to be designated an ‘opportunity site’ for purposes of future development and revitalization within the central business district.”
A 2022 downtown master plan update for the municipality listed housing as a potential use of the property now occupied by the newspaper.
Grote told city officials that the absence of this site forms a glaring “missing tooth,” or gap, in the northeast section of the MSD.
Including that property in the district will allow it to receive services and benefits not available now, he said.
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