Is Massive GCS Bond–and the Sales Hike Referendum to Pay for It—Dead? | Eastern North Carolina Now

Publisher's note: The author of this post is Sam Hieb for the John Locke Foundation.

    The proposed $1.6 billion Guilford County Schools bond-and the proposed sales tax hike referendum to pay for it-were on thin ice anyway in the wake of the coronavirus. But Rhino Times county editor Scott Yost reports they might be dead on arrival, dead on the water-however you want to put it:

  • Guilford County Commissioner Hank Henning has stated the situation the most succinctly.
  • "We had to table the school bond and the sales tax [referendum] to pay for it, because we all realize that all of our models are thrown out the window," Henning said at the Thursday, April 16 commissioners meeting when the board put the school bond on ice. "We don't have models that show what we can do next."
  • Henning said that, right now, while the economy is virtually at a standstill, people can't even plan a vacation - much less plan for a $1.6-billion spending initiative. He said economic activity has to resume.
  • "If we don't get this thing going, there won't be school bonds this year - there won't be a lot of things this year," Henning said.

    Ever the optimist, fellow Commissioner Skip Alston countered:

  • Alston said this week that there is going to be a school bond referendum on the ballot, and he said that, furthermore, he's confident that the Board of Commissioners will vote unanimously to put it on the ballot. He said the virus hasn't changed the pressing needs of the school system given its aging and failing buildings.
  • "The school bond will be on the ballot in November," Alston said.
  • Alston is still pushing for a bond to be set at $1.6 billion. However, he did acknowledge that, given the current state of the economy and the political realities of a Republican-majority board, the bond on the ballot may end up being a lesser amount, perhaps half of the school board's request.
  • Alston said that, even if a $1.6 billion bond passes in November, the schools will need more money in another bond referendum in two years since the needs of the system are so great.

    This is an interesting issue, considering the timing of both school bonds and sales tax hike referendums are always controversial-should they go on primary ballots or off-year ballots in order to kinda sneak them in, or should they should they go on presidential year ballots in order to take advantage of maximum turnout? And who knows what the vote will be look like come November. For what it's worth, the News & Record offers up some ideas for making the vote safe, in the process promoting N.C. Board of Elections executive director Karen Brinson Bell recommendation for all mail-in ballots with prepaid postage.
Go Back


Leave a Guest Comment

Your Name or Alias
Your Email Address ( your email address will not be published)
Enter Your Comment ( no code or urls allowed, text only please )




What Accounts for the Decline of Religion in American Life? John Locke Foundation Guest Editorial, Editorials, Op-Ed & Politics Governor Cooper Signs COVID-19 Relief Bills Into Law


HbAD0

Latest Op-Ed & Politics

President Joe Biden took direct aim at Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas during a recent interview, referring to him simply as “the guy who likes to spend a lot of time on yachts.”
The best way the county and city can help hold down inflation is to resist all tax increases
Pope Francis lambasted leftist gender ideology during an address this week, warning that it presented an extreme danger to mankind.
amnesty would just encourage more illegal aliens to storm our borders
The Christmas candy was barely off the shelves when the Valentine’s candy appeared. Red and pink hearts with caramel and nut-filled chocolate goodness caught our eye. We are reminded of how we love love. Young love, especially.
far left sugar daddy has also funded anti-Israel groups and politicians in US
Be careful what you wish for, you may get it
America needs to wake up and get its priorities right

HbAD1

Former President Donald Trump suggested this week that if he becomes president again, he might allow Prince Harry to be deported.
It's a New Year, which means it's time to make resolutions — even for prominent evangelical leaders. The Babylon Bee asked the following well-known figures in the faith what they hope to accomplish in 2024:
Vice President Kamala Harris will visit a Minnesota Planned Parenthood clinic, reportedly the first time a president or vice president has visited an abortion facility.
An eight-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville has been temporarily closed due to a string of “human and bear interactions,” the National Parks Service announced.
University of Wisconsin tried to punish conservatives for the fact that liberals regularly commit crimes to silence opposition
most voters think EU officials not doing a good job on illegal immigration
Come from behind by GOP candidate is a blueprint to 2024
Biden spending and energy policies to blame

HbAD2

Tuberculosis carried by illegal invaders has already infected Texas cattle
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said this week that the only campaign promise President Joe Biden has delivered on as president is the complete dismantling of the U.S. southern border.
Hamas is reeling after losing two of their most cherished leaders on the same day: military commander Saleh al-Arouri, and Harvard President Claudine Gay.
President Joe Biden’s brother told the Internal Revenue Service that Hunter Biden told him he was in business with a “protege of President Xi,” referring to the leader of China, according to notes by an IRS investigator that were divulged during a congressional interview of Jim Biden.
Gov. Roy Cooper seeks a temporary restraining order to block a law changing the composition of the State Board of Elections.
X owner Elon Musk mocked a news segment from ABC News this week that promoted President Joe Biden’s talking points about the Democrat-led Senate’s failed border bill, which critics and many experts have said would make the situation on the border worse.
That’s the question Marguerite Roza of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab sought to answer in a recent webinar on the topic.
The University of Florida has fired all of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) employees and shut down its DEI office.
Hot on the heels of its highly publicized television performance on New Year's Eve, the pop-punk band Green Day announced the release of an edgy new album titled Get the Vaccine, Climate Change Is Real, and Trump Is Bad.

HbAD3

 
Back to Top