| Reference Documents & Info |
| Current MSD Tax Rate: $0.1375 |
| 74 MSDs in North Carolina |
| MSD Budget Status Report (April 2023) |
| 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) |
| Media Inquiry: |
Meeting Announcement
The City of New Bern is hosting a public meeting on Thursday, May 25 at 5:30pm on the second floor of City Hall, located at
300 Pollock Street. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss New Bern's Municipal Service District (MSD).
City representatives will review the history and purpose of the MSD and share examples of past projects. The agenda for this meeting is as follows:
1. Discuss the creation of an MSD Committee.
2. Discuss proposed projects within the MSD.
This meeting will be broadcast live on City 3 TV (Suddenlink/Optimum), the City website (www.NewBernNC.gov/city3tv),
and on Roku. It will also be recorded. MSD property owners are encouraged to attend to discuss and offer feedback on the agenda items listed above. The City mailed letters to all MSD property owners informing them of this meeting. A copy of the letter can be viewed by clicking here.
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| Original Map of the MSD (1978) (click here to view/download) |
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. 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 service 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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| Map of Properties Added in 2014 (click here to view/download) |
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
MSD Today
Recently, the Board of Aldermen discussed the creation of an MSD Advisory Committee.