Should Gaston County spend $95 million to fix a laundry list of leaky rooftops and faulty HVAC systems in its public schools? Or should it let that borrowing power — approved by voters in 2007 — go by the wayside, to prevent the bane of future tax increases? Taxpayers can offer their two cents’ worth during a public hearing April 22. Afterward, county commissioners will make a decision.
The N.C. Local Government Commission has already approved a three-year extension. That would give the county until 2017 to issue more bonds for school improvements. “I think the commission is pretty unanimous in wanting to extend the bonds,” said County Commission Chairman Tracy Philbeck on Wednesday. “I don’t see why you wouldn’t extend them, when we do have major infrastructure needs throughout Gaston County in our school buildings.”
In 2007, voters approved a $175 million bond referendum that was to pay for the construction of several new schools throughout the county. Then the crash of the economy over the next two years altered the county’s plans. Roughly $80 million in bonds were issued in 2009. Almost 75 percent of that money was used to build Stuart Cramer High School in Cramerton, a state-of-the-art campus that opened last fall, to relieve overcrowding at East Gaston and South Point high schools. The money paid for land acquisition, realignment of surrounding roads, infrastructure, furnishings, buses and other necessities.
The remaining 25 percent was used to renovate Hawks Nest Elementary and Hunter Huss High schools in Gastonia. That leaves $95 million of borrowing power the county has yet to tap into yet. Kenny Lutz Jr., chairman of the Gaston County Board of Education, said they hope the county will extend the bonds and use them for maintenance needs.
“We have schools that are in desperate need of repair, and we are hopeful the commissioners will allocate a portion of the bond money to help us address the critical issues in our existing facilities,” he said.
One proposal emerges: The 2007 measure gave the commissioners a seven-year window to act on it. With the extension, the county would have another three years to work with. County and school leaders have already discussed suggestions for how to proceed, which will be discussed further and likely voted on April 22. Of the bonds already issued, the county saved $8.5 million to $10 million by coming in under budget on the school construction projects in Cramerton and Gastonia. Philbeck and Commissioner Joe Carpenter favor combining that with $15 million of newly issued bonds, and spending it all on school infrastructure needs.
Philbeck said he would prefer that plan to come with two requirements. First, the commission would have to know specifically what infrastructure repairs the school system planned to make with the bond money. Second, he said he wouldn’t want it spent wastefully.