Michael Fiocco and Randy Voller both make money through their ties to real estate development. Many times the interests of the town and its residents are negatively impacted by the priorities of developers—including environmental regulations and safeguards as well as where the money goes for sewer and highway allotments.
Both Fiocco and Voller were on the board of Main Street, where funding came from the town of Pittsboro and some funds went to their pet projects. Some volunteers and business owners felt left out of the decision making. While Main Street projects may have been good for some businesses, it didn’t meet some of the needs that could have been addressed. The town of Pittsboro has wisely taken the charter for Main Street back under the town’s control. Now the two men have switched to the Pittsboro Business Association.
Michael Fiocco put a 90 foot height for buildings downtown in the UDO draft before other town board members discovered it and took it out. Allowing skyscrapers on our main street might have meant Pittsboro’s historic buildings could be torn down to allow for higher ones. Other shenanigans included Fiocco making a motion to have a DOT bonus money allocation go to Chatham Park Investors for Chatham Parkway instead of much needed improvements to Highway 87. These funds are supposed to go to municipalities instead of private entities. Sewer treatment money has also been directed towards CPI instead of the town of Pittsboro, if I understand correctly; the way allocations are to be shared between town and developers may have left the town holding the bag.
Fiocco’s private business caters to developers and knowing how to get through or around town or government policies and regulations benefits his customers. So does changing the rules.
From: Duck Decoy
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2021, 02:54:38 PM EDT
Subject: voters need to know