High Point presents state legislative asks — $2M infrastructure requests, housing and down‑zoning options

High Point city staff on Thursday presented the city's proposed legislative priorities for the 2025–26 session, including multiple $2 million requests for local projects, a $750,000 ask for an active‑adult center, support for a local housing fund and small‑scale manufacturing upfits, and the option to file a local down‑zoning bill if a statewide solution is not reached.

Management Director Jeron Hollis told the City Council the proposals aim to align High Point's needs with momentum in the state legislature and said the city will meet with the Guilford County delegation on Feb. 24 to discuss the package. "Every year, we meet with our state elected officials and communicate our legislative priorities and financial priorities for our community," Hollis said.

The list of prioritized asks presented to council included: - Water and sewer main utility infrastructure: $2,000,000 request to support development in growing areas. - A shared‑use kitchen to support food entrepreneurs and food security: $2,000,000 requested. - Center for Active Adults: $750,000 requested to fund amenities such as pickleball courts, a paved trail and fitness equipment; Hollis said the project is under construction and the ask would help restore items removed during value engineering. - High Point Housing Fund: city support for a locally administered housing fund to leverage development. - Small‑scale manufacturing facility upfits (roof, elevator, plumbing, electrical) to support incubator expansion in an opportunity zone. - Thrive Shops on Washington: collaborative economic development support for a corridor revitalization project. - Athletic fields as part of a larger athletic complex to help the city compete for tournaments and support youth clubs including Carolina Core FC Youth.

City Manager Tasha Logan Ford said most of the city's standalone asks and many collaborative projects are sized at or below $2 million. "From some of the conversations that we've been having ... we're looking for projects that, one, we've already had some level of community input or community engagement associated with them," Ford said. She said staff and partners expect to refine several collaborative ask amounts in meetings over the following two weeks.

Fred Baggett, the city's state lobbyist and a former High Point city attorney, told the council that state revenue projections are weak heading into the next budgeting cycle. "We're facing a fiscal cliff," Baggett said, adding that the appropriation process will be tight. He said the city's individual $2 million requests are small in the context of the state budget and that getting priorities to the right decision‑makers is the key step: "In the context of the state budget, $2,000,000 is a rounding error, and it's nothing."

Baggett described two principal routes to secure funding in the state budget: the regular budget appropriation committees and individual legislators' requests. On down zoning, Baggett said he was "cautiously hopeful" a statewide approach acceptable to cities could be developed; he also confirmed staff asked a local legislator to prepare a local bill as an insurance policy. City staff told council the deadline to file a local bill is March 3.

Council questions touched on timing and coordination for several projects. When asked about the timeline for the "300" project (a Business High Point relocation/grant), staff said the grant window extends into the early 2030s and that they expect sufficient flexibility to spend funds; a specific expenditure schedule for the partner organization was not specified. Staff also said the Urban Greenway design behind 300 Oak is roughly 90% complete and that work is underway with federal partners on property acquisition permissions.

Staff said they will finalize the numerical ask amounts for collaborative projects after upcoming partner meetings and will prepare a handout for the delegation meeting. No formal vote was taken on the policy priorities; council approved routine procedural motions on the agenda and adjournment by voice vote.

The meeting was convened by Mayor Cyril Jefferson and included comments from Jeron Hollis, City Manager Tasha Logan Ford, lobbyist Fred Baggett and multiple council members. Staff said they will update council by email if any change is needed before the Feb. 24 delegation meeting.