Huntersville - United States

"Right now, the captains pretty much operate out of a closet. This will provide them the room they need while providing space for the department to grow."

— Huntersville Assistant Town Manager Gerry Vincent talking about the value of the additional office space that will be available in the Huntersville Police Department's future home (see story, Page 12).

"There is a lot that is changing in all of this, and people say, 'Bill, you've gotta get out of the box.' But I've been out of the box for so long, and there is a reason the box was built in the first place. There are elements inside the box that we have to bring along with us."

— Huntersville Transportation Planner Bill Coxe, who also serves as chairman of the Technical Coordinating Committee of the Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization, on the purported innovations offered by the trend toward public-private partnerships to build roads and highways.

"The one number that is a given — the one number that is guaranteed — is the higher tax I will pay. The developers are speculative, the increased traffic is speculative, the new residents are speculative. From the 'brownfield' people, that's the number one issue."

— Davidson attorney Bob McIntosh, speaking at last week's Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce Focus Friday event, as a representative of owners of already-developed property within the proposed Red Line's special assessment district .

"I would like to thank Commissioner (Melinda) Bales for filling in for me last Wednesday when I was in the sauce."

— Huntersville Commissioner Charles Guignard during opening statements at Monday's Huntersville Town Board meeting. Bales attended a meeting on Guignard's behalf while he was "in the sauce."

"We will travel to Raleigh to meet with legislators and regulatory agencies to make our case. We expect a fight as any reset of property values will result in lower revenues to municipalities in the county that are eagerly eying the bonanza of additional revenue headed their way."

— Former Cornelius Commissioner Jim Bensman, leading efforts to invalidate the most recent round of Mecklenburg County property tax value.

"They won't be in the driver's seat or even the passenger seat. They're going to be in the back and in the trunk."

—Cornelius Commissioner John Bradford on the net effect of the Huntersville Police Department taking its emergency dispatch business to CMPD.

"I've talked to some businesses that are on the fence with this. They say they don't care whether the train comes or not. They just don't want to pay any more tax."

— Cornelius Commissioner and Cornelius Rail Task Force (CRTF) Chairman Jeff Hare on some commercial property owners that would fall within the Red Line's proposed special assessment district.

"Charlie, did you really have something to say?"

— Huntersville Mayor Pro Tem Sarah McAulay, moving on without looking up, to Commissioner Charles Jeter following quick, unanimous passage of an item that, apparently, cut short Jeter's desire to add a pre-vote comment.

"Just because it doesn't show up on the scales doesn't mean there aren't changes taking place."

— Maria Schubert, one of 11 local participants in The Biggest Loser-Huntersville, saying losing weight isn't the only benefit to exercising, eating better and living healthier.

"I'm a rail lover, but I'm always interested in the taxpayer getting the most bang for their buck."

— Randal O'Toole of the Cato Institute, during an address regarding the Red Line Regional Rail Project at Cornelius Town Hall Wednesday morning, on an insinuation that he dislikes trains.