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School Construction Priorities in
an Affordable Community
Press Conference Scheduled for
2:30PM at the Government Center in the Lobby
 Mecklenburg
County Government spending paid for by local taxes has
more than doubled in 11 years, marking an average annual
increase of 10.2 percent. Driving much of
the spending binge are payments of principal and
interest on debt issued for school construction. Just as a bigger
car loan requires a greater monthly payment,
government’s annual debt service cost grows as bond debt
piles up.
Since 1995, $1.5 billion of school construction
debt has been approved. Yet today,
despite a property tax burden 116 percent higher than in
1995, we still confront an overcrowding crisis in
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
What’s wrong?
Priorities!
Tonight, the Board of
Education is expected to request a total November bond
referendum of $510 million—$427 million for construction
and renovation and $80 million for land acquisition.
This proposed bond package is unaffordable and
unfocused on the priority of providing every student a
permanent seat in a school near home. It promises to
repeat mistakes made since 1999 when serviceable schools
were razed and replaced only to be half-filled—includingLincoln
Heights,
Billingsville, Pinewood, Westerly Hills, Walter G. Byers, Thomasboro,
Druid Hills and Ashley Park Schools. Reconstructed
First Ward Elementary, for another example, has 49
classrooms for 639 students—13 students per room. Meanwhile, unaddressed
suburban growth has produced huge trailer farms and
students lunching outdoors on winter days.
Mecklenburg
taxpayers cannot afford continued spending without
priorities and neither can students.
We Republican members of
the Boards of Education and County Commissioners
offer an alternative approach focused on
CMS’s
critical infrastructure need—relief of overcrowding.
We favor $253.8 million of Commissioner-approved
COPs financing over two years strictly for construction
of new seats (i.e., new schools and seat additions to
existing schools) and no bond referendum this fall,
except for the planned land acquisition bonds. If the
budget-busting $510 million package is submitted, voters
should vote “no,” knowing that growth construction needs
can be met through COPs.
The Board’s $510 million
bond request expected tonight is not sized to cover two
years of spending, but rather to break a ten-year, $2
billion spending plan into chunks voters might swallow.
By contrast, the
Republican COPs proposal is targeted to spending
anticipated in the coming biennium. $253.8 million
of COPs will provide for all new seats
proposed to be constructed under the Board’s expected
package.
Together with $291 million in already approved
bonds and COPs, $253.8 million of additional funding
will amply authorize the $170 million school bond/COPs
sales each January that the
County
Manager
currently plans.
To be sure, with new
COPs of $253.8 million and already approved (but
unissued) COPs of $103 million
tasked for building new seats to relieve overcrowding, CMS will have to reexamine
carefully its prioritization of renovation projects for
the remaining $188 million of previously approved G.O.
bonds available.
Nice-to-have but unnecessary projects, such as
the $18 million replacement of half-full Marie G. Davis
Elementary, should be reconsidered.
In addition to covering
two years of spending and redirecting capital spending
toward the highest priority, the Republican proposal
will avoid committing
CMS prematurely to decisions best
considered after completing student assignment plans
this fall and recruiting a new superintendent in the
coming year.
Here are the
details of our plan:
- Issue COPs to fund
all new schools and seat additions in the
forthcoming Board of Education proposal:
Southeast High School
Belmeade Road Middle School
Ridge Road Middle School
Belmeade Road Elementary School
Bradley Elementary School
Dixie River Road Elementary School
Elon Park Elementary School
Hucks Road Elementary School
Idlewild Road Elementary School
Providence Road Elementary School
North Mecklenburg HS
Addition (16 classrooms)
South Mecklenburg HS
Addition (9 classrooms)
Alexander MS Addition (6
classrooms)
Alexander Graham MS
Addition (17 classrooms)
Cochrane MS Addition (10
classrooms)
McClintock MS Addition (9
classrooms)
Idlewild ES Addition (2
classrooms)
Long Creek ES Addition (9
classrooms)
Even as to these projects,
costs may be overstated. Elementary
schools just completed cost $11 million; new ones are
budgeted at $16 million. The COPs
approval process before
County
Commissioners
can provide for auditing of
CMS cost estimates and identify cost
escalators.
- Defer/reprioritize
renovation and other projects identified in the
Board’s proposal:
Satellite Maintenance
Facility
Transportation Maintenance
Facility
RENOVATIONS
Garinger HS (science labs)
Independence HS
(gymnasium)
Myers Park ES (gymnasium)
North Mecklenburg HS
(renovation & addition)
South Mecklenburg HS
(renovation & addition)
Alexander MS (renovation &
addition)
Alexander Graham MS
(renovation & addition)
Cochrane MS (renovation &
addition)
Davidson MS (renovation &
addition)
McClintock MS (renovation
& addition)
Sedgefield MS (renovation)
Idlewild ES (renovation &
addition)
Long Creek ES (partial
replacement)
Amay James
Pre-K(renovation)
LIFECYCLE
REPLACEMENTS
East Mecklenburg HS
Auditorium (renovation)
Garinger HS Track
Olympic HS Canopy
Olympic HS Emergency
Generator
Olympic HS Stadium (field
house, restrooms, bleacher upgrades)
South Mecklenburg HS Canopy
West Charlotte HS Track
West Mecklenburg HS
Stadium (field house, restrooms, bleacher upgrades)
Hawthorne
MS HVAC
Hawthorne
MS Plumbing
Ranson MS Gym Floor and
Bleachers
Cornelius ES Bus Lot
Pineville ES HVAC
Pineville ES Plumbing
MANDATES
AND
INITIATIVES
ADACompliance
Cooler/Freezer Updates
(various schools)
Fire Alarm Upgrade
(Various schools)
Instructional Technology
Intercom Integration
Kitchen Hot Water (various
schools)
Modular Middle
O&Q/Asbestos
Performance Contracting
Structural Evaluation and
Repair
We can meet community
priorities for schools and have an
affordable community. Let’s take a
first step in the right direction.
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Board of Education Members: |
County Commissioners: |
|
Kaye McGarry – At-Large |
Jim Puckett – District 1 |
|
Larry Gauvreau – District 1 |
Dan Bishop – District 5 |
|
|
Bill James – District 6 |
County Property
taxes increase from
$321 million to $697
million - 116.42%
over 11 years
|
|
1995 |
2006 |
Change $ |
Change % |
Yearly
Ave |
|
Adjusted |
(a) |
(b) |
|
|
|
|
County
Property
Tax |
$
321,860,524
|
$
696,555,751
|
$
374,695,227
|
116.42% |
10.58% |
|
County
Sales
Tax |
$
72,832,732
|
$
146,660,942
|
$
73,828,210
|
101.37% |
9.22% |
|
County
Sales
tax for
CMS |
$
13,171,525
|
$
21,700,000
|
$
8,528,475
|
64.75% |
5.89% |
|
County
only
budget
(County
funds) |
$
412,812,127
|
$
877,995,855
|
$
465,183,728
|
112.69% |
10.24% |
|
Total
County
Budget
(all
funds) |
$
820,319,270
|
$1,235,506,223
|
$
415,186,953
|
50.61% |
4.60% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustment
Notes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(a): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FY 05
County
Property
Tax
includes
amount
allocated
to
Capital
Reserve |
|
|
|
FY 05
County
Sales
Tax -
includes
amount
allocated
to the
Solid
Waste
Enterprise
Fund |
|
|
County
only
budget
(County
funds) &
Total
County
Budget
(all
funds)
changed
from FY
05
Adopted
to FY 05
Amended |
|
(b): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FY 06
amounts
changed
to
reflect
the
approved
budget. |
|
|
|
|
|
SOURCE: MECKLENBURG
COUNTY GOVERNMENT |
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