Middle school issue likely to be up for vote in '08
By LAURA THORNBURG
Staff
In November, the members of the Alleghany County Board of Education
are slated to request the Alleghany County Board of Commission take a
potential middle school to referendum.
Commission Chair Ken Richardson said, "In order for this to go on a
referendum, it would take the approval of the county commissioners.
Having gone through the bond issue with the library, there are
expenses incurred on taking something to referendum."
Addressing a time table, Richardson reminded the boards the last time
it was discussed, the idea had been to place the issue on the May
2008 primary ballots.
"I think it's important if this board were inclined to allow this to
move forward on a bond referendum that the county manager and Dr.
(Jeff) Cox be willing to present us an estimated cost as what it
would cost to allow this to move forward."
School Board Chair Clarence Crouse requested that the referendum be
brought to the school system at an earlier date.
"In the planning stages, we could move forward more quickly to try to
have a finished product if it were to be approved by the fall of
2009. Also, I think we'd probably save more money if it's approved
and it can be built—much more money than the cost of having the
specialized bond referendum."
Board member Mitch Franklin agreed, "If we had a referendum a little
earlier than May, it would give us time to get under construction to
have it open at the time Clarence talked about."
Richardson told the school board members can request what that want
"and it would be up to Dr. Cox and Don to decide if it's feasible and
it can all be worked out. You're going to have to request to
commissioners for that referendum and a date for that to occur."
Adams cautioned that a referendum cannot be within so many days of an
election.
Cox asked, "As far as putting this issue out for vote with the land
transfer tax issue, how would this be presented to the public in
terms...if the need is $7.5 million for a middle school and there's
the issue of the .4 percent land transfer tax, would it be presented
there's a bond over here for $7.5 for the middle school, but we have
this land transfer tax and so this amount of money can support that?
I know on the ballot, it can't say this money's for that, but the
publicly, we're going to chose to talk about this a certain way. How
are we going to sell this thing?"
Richardson stated, "You could have your referendum but you cannot
talk about the transfer tax, we haven't even acted on it. Right now,
I'm getting the feel it may be at the earliest, May and it could even
be November before the issue out on referendum for the voters."
QZAB Discussion
Richardson told the school board members that earlier in the
afternoon, the Commission had passed a resolution allowing the QZAB
to move forward.
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