| Meetings: |
| September 12, 2023 |
| August 22, 2023 |
| June 15, 2023: |
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| May 25, 2023: |
| February 27, 2023 |
Interested in serving on New Bern's Municipal Service District Advisory Committee? Submit this online application form or contact Brenda Blanco, City Clerk via email.
The City of New Bern hosted two meetings recently (see both meeting video links at right) to engage property owners in the Municipal Service District (MSD) and inform the public about New Bern's MSD. The first meeting covered the history of the MSD, state statutes regarding these special tax districts, and proposed projects. The second meeting outlined how other statewide MSDs are structured, discussed the creation of an MSD Advisory Committee, and polled the audience on proposed projects.
Click here to view a list of proposed projects within the MSD.
UPDATE: Information from both meetings was compiled and presented to the Board of Aldermen in August, for consideration in establishing an MSD committee. At the August 22, 2023 meeting, the Board of Aldermen unanimously approved creation of the committee. At the September 12, 2023 meeting, the Board discussed how the committee will be structured, how often it will meet, responsibilities of its members, what term limits may apply, etc. At a subsequent meeting, the Board will consider creation of the MSD Advisory Committee based on discussion and recommendations shared at the meeting on the 12th.
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History of the MSD
By the late 1970s, businesses had begun moving out of downtown New Bern and into the outskirts of town. The downtown area had suffered a period of decline and businesses were looking for more lucrative locations and foot traffic.
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| Original Map of the MSD (1978) (click here to view/download) |
In 1978, at the request of many property owners, business owners and residents, the Board of Aldermen passed a resolution creating a Municipal Service District (MSD), a defined district with an additional levied property tax.
An MSD provides local governments with a way to raise additional funds for services or projects within the defined area. See North Carolina General Statute 160A-535 "The Municipal Service District Act of 1973."The original footprint of the MSD was just north of Broad Street, to the west side of Hancock Street, south and east to the Trent and Neuse Rivers, respectively.
In 1985, an initial MSD Advisory Committee was appointed by the Board of Aldermen. The committee was tasked with studying issues and potential projects within the MSD and to make recommendations to the Board. In 1986, the committee returned to the Board to present its recommendations. Subsequent to 1986, the Board of Aldermen never reconstituted an Executive or Advisory Committee for the MSD. Nevertheless, a small group of property owners and other interested parties continued to meet and to occasionally make recommendations to the Board of Aldermen.
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Reference Documents & Info: Current MSD Tax Rate: $0.1375 74 MSDs in North Carolina
How MSDs are structured List of Proposed Projects MSD Budget Status Report (April 2023) Expenditures document (July 2022) MSD Debt Service (June 2023) NC Municipal Service District Act of 1973 Original MSD Map (1978) Resolution Defining the MSD (1978) Minutes from June 13, 1978 BOA meeting Resolution Enlarging the MSD (1986) |
| Map of Properties Added in 2014 (click here to view/download) |
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Past Projects (not all-inclusive):
Streetscape improvements
Street lighting
Overhead to underground utility conversion
Sidewalk expansion and upgrades
Development of alleyways & off-street parking
Wayfinding signs
Development of Bear Plaza
Installation of trash and recycling containers
Landscaping