NEWS

Summary of the September 9 Town Board Meeting

Mayor Knox read three proclamations:

• National Constitution Week
• September: National Preparedness Month
• Bernice Torrence Houston – Celebrating 100 years

The Board received a presentation regarding the HOMES and Davidson Tax Assistance Program (DTAP) Update by Mecklenburg County representative Shakira Francis.

Under this assistance program, qualified Davidson residents can receive assistance for the Mecklenburg County and town property tax payments. Most notably, Davidson residents who fill out the necessary county paperwork (or online application) are automatically registered for the town’s program. Additionally, Davidson is the only municipality in the county participating this fiscal year, fiscal year 2026.

Just as participation in the county program has increased, so too has participation in Davidson. In fiscal year 2024, 21 applications from Davidson residents were approved. Those 21 applicants received a total of $4801 grants from the Town and $8,773 from the county, for an average total $648.38 in grants to offset property taxes.

In fiscal year 2025, requests from 32 applicants in Davidson were approved. They received $9.738 from the Town and $15,933 from the county. Those 32 recipients received an average of $802.22 combined county and town offset in their taxes.

The maximum amount individuals can qualify to receive is $650 from the County and $534 from the Town. The income limits for the households is evaluated based on the number of persons in the home. As the chart below reflects, the income thresholds range from 1-8 people in the home.

The first item of business was a discussion of the Town’s public comment policy. Following the recommendation from staff, several members of the board had suggested changes and additions. The new policy will be brought to a vote at the September 23 meeting.

The second and final item of business was a proposal to approve purchase of 248 Jetton Street parcel. The parcel consists of a lot that is .183 acres. The home on the lot is a listed as a 672 square foot home built in 1945.

The parcel shares an adjacent rear boundary with a 1.2-acre parcel already owned by the town, and is a location identified for potential affordable housing. The existing parcel, which is located behind the Ada Jenkins Center, has no street frontage boundaries and was previously accessed via Brandon Street. The Town Board voted unanimously to acquire the property using some of the affordable housing funds set aside within federal ARPA funding.