Nuggets From the Herald Editorial Page

Message For Commissioners--Tell Us Where The Tax Money Is Going

If the reader looked a little deeper on the editorial page of Sunday's Herald than the main headline, they found two more nuggets relating to ongoing efforts of voters to get the Lee County Commissioners to be more specific about the use of the 1/4 cent sales tax. So far, commissioners have turned a deaf ear. But with four commissioner's seats up for election, angry voters will have alternatives.

Herald Editor's Billy Liggett column (click here to read) puts himself in the voter's shoes in an interesting, well researched piece that shows how counties who have been successful with the tax have been very specific about its intended uses. He is like many readers, when he says:

"If the commissioners want this passed, there needs to be a better line of communication with the voters. "

Perhaps without intending to do so, the column has picked up on the "threat" strategy of the commissioners. He characterizes the county commissioners' tax brochure as leaving the message:

"Long story short, approve a sales tax that you’re not really sure about or get levied with more property taxes."

This suggests the board has plans for capital projects and intends to plow ahead with them and raise property taxes to do it. Which brings us back to the questions for the commissioners--What do you plan to spend this money on?

This writer has also weighed in on the issue with a letter to the editor that appeared on Sunday's editorial page. (You can read it online here. ) It begins with this analysis of the status quo of the situation:

" No one should vote for the sales tax referendum with the expectation that the current board of commissioners will fund the renovations as sought by the Board of Education for the Lee County High School."

County Brochure Misleading About Endorsements

Problem Not Just With LCHS Provisions

The brochure being produced at tax payer expense by the board of commissioners misrepresents the nature of the endorsements received from local organizations in support of the 1/4 cent sales and use tax. All the organizations predicated their support on the funds being used to finance education projects--some were more specific including the full renovations at Lee County High School. The latter was stripped from the resolution by the Finance Committee of the Board. And some of the organizations like the Friends of Lee County High School are hopping mad about being included on the list since the uses of the sales tax increase are not for the reasons specified in their resolutions.

The problem is bigger than the omission of the high school issue. The board of commissioners also included a section saying "Debt service on other capital projects listed in the Counties 2009-2013 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) ." That plan goes far beyond education and includes a wide variety of projects not related to K-14 education. Some of the projects include new buildings for administration and Lee County Community Development--projects likely to be controversial.

A careful reading of the resolutions would strike all of them--plus several not mentioned in the draft of the brochure. This would leave the sales tax increase with only one endorsement--the one by the Lee County Board of Commissioners. Looks like we are back to "trust us."

New Logo For County Commission Leaders?

Big kudos go out to George J. Wilberg of Sanford for his letter to the editor about "trusting" Commission Chair Bob Brown on the issue of funding Lee County High School. Here is an excerpt of his letter. Read the full letter here. In fact, perhaps the board "leadership" deserves their own logo.

Might I paraphrase the old tale of the turtle who agreed to carry a scorpion across a river. A scorpion, being a poor swimmer, asks this turtle to carry him on his back across a wide river. The turtle says, “You are crazy.You will sting me and I’ll die.” The scorpion says, “If I did that, both of us would drown, wouldn’t we?” The turtle thinking about the “trust” developed says, “Hop on, let’s cross the river.” Half way across, the scorpion stings the turtle. In dying the turtle says, “Why, did you do it?” As they sank to the bottom the scorpion replied with its last breath, “It’s just my nature.You knew I was a scorpion.” My vote is to have a “resolu­tion” guaranteeing funds to our Lee County High School or CCCC. This taxpayer and resident of Lee County does not want to befall the fate of the turtle. No, indeed.


P.S. Lemmond Gone Quiet on School Issues?
By the way, Jerry Lemmond had nothing to say at the joint Board of Education-Commissioners meeting. Perhaps, for a change, he followed the advice of a Republican, Abraham Lincoln, who said, " "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

A Very Specific Resolution Is Needed

The editorial board at the Sanford Herald has hit another bulls eye with today's editorial on the need for the County Commissioners to pass a resolution on their intent to fund the renovations at Lee County Schools. (read the editorial here)

One question not addressed, though, was what such a resolution would need to say in order to trust this board of commissioners. The commissioners have raised every smokescreen and red herring they can think of in discussing the issue. A resolution needs to state an amount that is a worded as a minimum (i.e. not less than) the $15.8 needed for phase one of the renovations. Without such specific commitment, voters would be buying the proverbial pig in a poke.

Leadership on Tax Referendum Coming From Board of Education

Yesterday's pow wow between the County Commissioners and the Board of Education clearly demonstrated the difference between a board that is leading and one that, well, seems to lack a clue.

The commissioners appear confident that the voters will approve the 1/4 sales tax revenue. The traditional appeal of a sales tax increase to voters is it will reduce property taxes--a claim never made by Lee County Commissioners. Their intent is to leverage the $1,500,000 into roughly $36 million of new debt for as yet unspecified capital projects. The commissioners are near the end of their credit limit so without the revenue to make interest payments on bond issues for new large capital projects like schools and classrooms at CCCC will come to a halt. Pass or fail, taxpayers are not likely to see their property taxes reduced.

On what basis then--other than daily conversation among themselves and with their same cronies--do the commissioners gain their confidence in the success of the referendum. Poor-mouthing! County Manager John Crumpton summarized the financial position this way:

“If we don’t get the sales tax increase, we do not have a capital improvements plan,” he said. “Without the sales tax, we can’t do anything. . .

The message to the community is pass this tax or your capital needs for schools and government will go unmet. And if not, tough, because we warned you. In the meantime, just trust us to spend it wisely.

Now, be clear this is not Crumpton's position. It is just the cards he has been dealt by a board so weak in leadership that doesn't recognize its own shortcomings. It takes hard work and leadership to take a well thought out spending plan to the public, and the commissioners have simply failed to do it.

On the other hand, the Board of Education takes a view strongly supported by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners--these referendums have passed only where a good community foundation was laid and where voters knew exactly how the additional revenues will be used. Almost without exception, the endorsement by various civic groups for the tax referendum have come about through the efforts of Board of Education Chair Bill Tatum--not the commissioners. Most have referenced renovations at Lee County High School.

Secondly, the Board of Education and advocates on behalf of LCHS have worked hard to make a strong, compelling case for the renovations at the aging campus. Moreover, they have already compromised on a phased approach that will reduce the initial need from $22 million to less than $16 million. Now the Board of Education fears that the failure of the commissioners to commit to use a portion of the tax referendum revenue for LCHS renovations will leave the referendum without the specific use it needs to win voter approval. This is the very kind of error the commissioners own state association warns against!

Those who watch the television rebroadcast of the meeting will see clearly the difference between a board that has been built into a team and the fragmented group of commissioners. They will hear Board of Education Chairman Bill Tatum pledge his support to the referendum regardless of the outcome of the discussions on the inclusion of the renovations of Lee County High School and urge his board to do the same. It was a statesman-like approach.

Were it not for the meeting of the two groups, it is highly unlikely that the County Commissioners would have organized the committee proposed yesterday (read about this here) to work for community support of the proposal. And who asked for that meeting? You guessed it. The Board of Education. Evidence of Tatum's leadership again.

Bob Brown is the chair of the county commissioners. The problem is he is not their leader. As he puts it "I am just one commissioner." On the other hand Bill Tatum is more than just a member of the board of education. He is the chairman AND a leader.

Board of Education Pleads But Did Commissioners Listen?

LCHS Renovations At Heart of Tax Discussion

Finally, the Lee County Board of Education had a chance to make its case to the Lee County Commissioners regarding the importance of being more specific about the use of revenues from the proposed 1/4 cent sales and use tax on the May ballot. The issue had been fermenting since references to use of the money for the LCHS were stripped from a resolution about use of the sales tax revenue funds. (Read Previous Post Concerning This). If any commissioner's mind was changed, it was not evident.

Instead, it fell to Board of Education Chair Bill Tatum to be the statesman in response to county manager John Compton's presentation on the counties overall capital needs. Tatum made it clear he would work for passage of the referendum whether or not specific funds were committed to LCSH because of the need growth was creating in the schools, the community college, and the rest of county government. Tatum urged his board to do the same.

While Commission Bob Brown spoke sympathetically to the LCHS renovations, he seemed unable to nudge his commissioners to take specific action. Instead, he agreed that a committee should be formed to make the case for the referendum to the voters as reported in today's Sanford Herald. The committee would be made up of two com­missioners, two members of the school board and two members each from Central Carolina Community College Board of Trustees and Lee County Economic Development Corporation — to work with the Friends of Lee County High School, a non-profit group of concerned parents, to sell the need for the tax increase to the general public in advance of May’s referendum.

You could see the hopes of the Board of Education rise with this suggestion. The Board of Education strongly believes that without listing very specific plans for use of the 1/4 cent sales tax revenue the tax referendum will be defeated. Based on earlier comments by Commissioner Robert Rieves, their vision of the committee was one in which the potential participants in the capital projects would agree to some allocation from part of the $37 million in debt to be issued.

But the mood of the board of education fell when it became clear the scope of the committee was narrowed to sell the board of commissioner's current vague resolution to spend the money on unspecified capital projects with a priority on education but no specifics.

I seemed like the commissioner's still have their chronic problem of not listening to what they do not want to hear.

Renovations Chair Supports Are Vague

"I am just one commissioner." - No Quarrel Here

Commissioner Chair Bob Brown is quoted in an Herald article regarding tomorrow afternoon's meeting between the commissioners , the board of education, the CCCC board, and the economic development board as being for the renovation of Lee County High School.

" Brown said he supports the renovations at the high school, but cannot speak for the entire commission. 'As one commissioner I really worry about not being able to do what needs to be done at the high school,' he said.'It is a priority with me, but I am just one commissioner.'”

Other than Commissioner Robert Reives, it is likely that any commissioner is likely to make a declaration that renovations are not needed on the campus of Lee County High School. But the question is what kind of renovations. Some think a new roof or two will do the job and others wonder why the drainage problems haven't been fixed by the board of education with an 8 year old back hoe. The truth is, when asked by Commissioner John Quiggle to commitment in public to the $15.8 million needed to replace two buildings and redo the drainage system, not a single commissioner, including the chairman, was willing to join Quiggle in speaking up in the affirmative. (Read previous post here.)

The agenda for the upcoming meeting was set by Chairman Brown. The funding of what is known as the Hite plan for renovations has been a major issue between the commissioners and the board of education, but Brown did not put it specifically on the agenda. It sounds like he is so "worried" about it, he is afraid to have it on the agenda. Or what we really have here is a Chairman who is just one commissioner. Not a leader mind you, just one commissioner. No quarrel here.

Being the Incumbent Has Advantages

Writing a Letter Earns Press, Call Halting Stop Signs Doesn't

Representative Jimmy Love wrote a letter to Raleigh opposing treatment center for troubled teens planned for Hawkins Avenue and got front page coverage (click here to read article) for doing so in the Sanford Herald. According to state officials, they will still have to follow the applicable procedures for approving the facility despite the letter.

But this kind of coverage must be frustrating to Love's Republican opponent who can't so easily generate publicity. Being an incumbent has advantages--incumbents can do things for individuals, groups, and organizations that challengers can't do.

And not all of them are publicized because they are best done behind the scenes.

For example, according to the Sanford Herald, "Planned in­stallation of a four-way stop at the intersection of Lemon Springs and St. Andrews Church roads was put on hold by the North Carolina Department of Transporta­tion." (click here to read article) What was not publicized was that what had put the brakes on the project was a telephone call from Representative Love to the right state official.

Representative Love's letter about the treatment center may not carry the same weight, but it didn't hurt him at all to send it. It made the front page.

Brochure Doesn't Add Up

County Hopes to Make Case For Sales Tax With Brochure

The draft copy of a tax-payer paid brochure created by county employees that is supposed to "educate" the public (see earlier post) about the upcoming sales tax increase doesn't add up.

Kudos to the staff to save money by attempting to do something government employees don't very well--produce political brochures. Beyond that the "we won't tell you what we will fund with the money" attitude of some commissioners makes it much harder to make a consistent and compelling case. While most speakers and resolutions in favor of the 1/4 sales and use tax revenue spoke specifically of renovations of Lee Senior High School (see earlier post) and needs for a new building at the CCCC campus, commissioners have be unwilling to make personal commitments to fund either project.

The math will be confusing to the average public. For example, the brochure claims that if the sales and use tax will produce $1.5 million per year but will fund $36,290,000 in projects. Left out is the explanation that the county intends to use the money to finance debt in the form of bonds or certificates of participation.

The brochure also has a block that compares the increased revenue from the sales tax with property tax rates. According to the brochure the sales tax revenue raises about the same revenue as adding 3.5 cent to the property tax. The hint is there that if the sales tax fails, property taxes will go up. This is contrary to commissioner statements that if the tax increase fails there will be no funding of educational projects.

The brochure is only a draft and the final result may be much improved. For example, the obligatory listing of commissioners might be left off and more real information might be better explained to the public. Or better still, the commissioners might do well to hold several public meetings to answer the public's questions themselves.

Commissioners Dilute Board of Education Meeting

The Lee County Board of Commissioners seem to have second thoughts about sitting down for a discussion with the Board of Education. (See Previous Post Regarding Meeting) The Board of Education had sought the meeting. Commission Chairman Bob Brown responded that a meeting would be possible only if the Board of Education agreed to strict limitations on what was discussed. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 24, at 5pm in the Wicker Conference Room of the Government Center.

At Monday's Commission meeting, Commissioner Robert Reives proposed that the Board of the Community College and the Board of the Economic Development Commission also attend the meeting and his proposal was adopted by a majority of the board. The rationale given was that all three groups had an interest in the upcoming tax election. The reality is that the presence of the other two boards will help the commissioners keep the discussion away from board of education issues such as the funding of renovations of the Lee County High School.

Quiggle Calls Out Commissioner's On Schools

None Take His Challenge To Give Specifics on High School Renovation

Commissioner John Quiggle brought a sleepy meeting of the Lee County Commissioners back to life Monday by challenging them each of them "to have the courage to stand up and declare our intentions today by announcing our support for the renovation of Lee County Senior High School and the classroom building for the Community College." Quiggle also expressed disappointment at the resolution (read about it here) that he and other commissioners had passed at the last meeting concerning the 1/4 sales tax referendum. Quiggle stated that the lack of a statement committing to renovations at Lee County High School and the community college had generated a lot of questions from the public. (Read Quiggle's Prepared Statement Here)

Commissioners Rieves, Brown, Lemmond, and Kelly responded to Quiggle's remarks but none were willing to give s specific commitment to the projects. Commissioner's Rieves remarks were the most straightforward saying that he was not ready to commit to an particular project. Chairman Brown noted that any new resolution would have to go first to the Finance Committee and that the resolution had passed by a unanimous vote. Since it was the Finance Committee that stripped out the references to Lee Senior High from ah earlier resolution, it is unlikely that any effort by Quiggle to get changes in the resolution would see the light of day.

Commissioner's Lemmond and Kelly made statements indicating their concern for the high school and reminding everyone again that their could be no chance of either project if the 1/4 sales tax did pass. Neither, however, made specific commitments.

Commissioners Shook and Pascal made no comments.

Quiggle noted that most speakers for the sales tax had based their support on the expectation that the increased revenue would enable the renovations at Lee County High School. Comments during the public comment section of the meting indicated that lack of confidence in the Commissioner's actual plans for the money is eroding the support of some groups who had previously supported the tax.

Up The Creek If Your Well Goes Dry

Thank goodness we had some rain. It has given a temporary reprieve to Lee County families who had depended on wells that went dry at the height of the drought. Because of Lee Counties position in the river basin, we are fortunate that our water system had, as we were told, "plenty of water."

But not everyone in Lee County is on the county water system which is provided water and operated by the City of Sanford. Some folks in the county are not in areas served by the system and had to depend on wells. Their wells went dry. When they went to the county/city water system, they left with their buckets empty. It seems neither county or city government had done any planning to accommodate their needs.

It is a complicated system. To extend city water lines to an unserved area of the county, the city assesses (charges) its future customers for the cost of running the water lines to the area. Since the area is in the county, such an assessment would have to come from the county and be approved by the county commissioners. The Dispatch has learned that despite all the overage of the drought, the city and county had not worked out a procedure for extending water lines to new areas where families had their wells go dry.

So if your well went dry, and you went for help, you were up the creek because needed contingency planning wasn't done. So much for emergency preparedness.

Police Chief Behind Scenes in 911 Issue

Sanford Police Chief Ronnie Yarborough has tried to weigh in behind the scenes in the issue of use of surplus county 911 funds by having one of his officers contact a county commissioner and ask him to put a "hold" on the 911 money issue. This despite comments in the Sanford Herald "that the matter would be decided by the 'boards and managers' and [Yarborough] declined comment on it."

This is not the first time the publicity-shy Chief Yarborough has locked horns behind the scenes with county officials over funds relative to law enforcement.

When Sheriff Tracy Carter began enforcing state tax liens on drug dealers by seizing property, Chief Yarborough objected to any of the funds from the seized assets being distributed to the Sheriff's Office.

The tax liens in question were created by arrests of the now disbanded City-County Drug Task Force and total over $10 million over the 20 years the task force was in existence. The task force consisted of five officers from the police department and three deputies from the sheriff's office. Chief Yarborough wanted 100% of the local share of tax proceeds (75% under state law) to returned to the Police Department after Sheriff Carter had disbanded the task force when he took office.

Citing a 1991 letter Chief Yarborough pressured then Sheriff Billy A. Bryant to write, Chief Yarborough claimed that all the money should go to the Sanford Police Department from more than 270 assessments with possession dates ranging from 12/15/98 to 11/30/06. Sheriff Tracy Carter strongly disagreed arguing that a portion of the proceeds should go to the Sheriff's Office.

Despite intensive lobbying efforts, Chief Yarborough lost this argument. On April 14, 2007 the NC Department of Revenue ruled that under legal requirements for "equitable distribution", the Sheriff's Office was entitled to three-eights (37.5%) of the funds--the same proportion as Sheriff's Deputies that had made up the task force. Since 11/30/06 the proceeds go to the jurisdiction making the original arrest.

There is no clear answer on what Chief Yarborough sought to gain in his out-of-channels attempt to influence the 911 funds.

County Manager Seeks New Administrative Facility

Lee County would invest in a $2,000,000 Lee County Administration Facility in 2010 if recommendations by County Manager John Compton are followed. The recommendation is included in the county's Capital Improvement Plan for the period 2009-2013 that totals some $43,000,000. The plan assumes the passage of the 1/4 sales tax increase which would increase the ability of the county of borrow money to fund the capital projects.

The plan calls for renovation of an undetermined existing building to accommodate 20 offices with total space needs of 4600 sq. gt. Administration, Finance, and Human Resources would move to this facility and will free up space for the Department of Social Services and the Health Department. The justification for the building is increasing staff.

[note picture may not be representative of yet undetermined building plans.]

LSHS Needs Bailing Buckets Not Buckets of Tar

Today's Sanford Herald's feature story on what happens when it rains at Lee Senior High School leaked out probably the biggest problem for which nay sayers toward the renovations have no easy answer.

Leaks, leaks, leaks. Apparently there are plenty of leaks, but many critics have asked why they just didn't patch the roof with more tar. Let's forget the roof and the leaks. It is the leaks from the tsunamis of running surface water that make the most compelling case for building replacements.

the out-of-date drainage system creates a sea of puddles that crawl together and seep under doors and through tennis shoes as students walk to class. . . . The swamped side­walks are due to the size of the outdoor drainpipes, still the original six-inch­ers when the current standard is between 24 and 36 inches.

The most perplexing problem at LSHS is this outdated system for handling surface water because the pipes run under buildings--the buildings have to come down to give access to the pipes. More than any other factor that tips the scales in favor of the School Board's Plans.
Given enough rain, the grounds turn into a pond with waters rising like a flood to cover walkways and creep under doors into buildings.

But, under current commissioners, there is no guarantee the quarter tax sales tax increase will stop the flood either. That is the signal the commissioners sent when they pulled the renovations for LSHS out of a resolution listing their plans for using the proceeds of the tax. (See the blog!)

More Dispatches on this subject are coming soon.--editior

Lee County Budget to Get Relief From Medicaid

Lee County should benefit at least $500,000 annually from the recently enacted state plan to phase out the requirement that counties foot 15 percent of the state’s Medicaid services bill. Once fully implemented, the plan eliminates an uncontrollable expense increasing at roughly 10 percent or more per year in exchange for a revenue source growing at about 5 percent.

Specifically, counties statewide relinquish a half-cent of sales tax revenue, which is projected at $592.6 million in 2012, in exchange for the state assuming the entire non-federal Medicaid share, which is projected at $744.5 million in 2012.

Lee County's "savings" could be substantial, averaging perhaps as much as $900,000 a year over the next five years according to estimates by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. But as County Manager John Crumpton pointed out, this is only an estimate based on Medicaid costs--something historically hard to estimate accurately. Moreover, this financial relief does not come in the form of new money but simply "costs avoided." It doesn't "free up money in the county budget" directly because the money for future years hasn't been budgeted. Nevertheless, the bottom line is good news. It is a financial pressure that will be lifted from the county budget and, hopefully, off the tax payer's back.

Source: North Carolina Association of County Commissioners

No Duh! City Wants Focus Off Golf Course Finances

With the local chapter of Americans For Prosperity collecting petitions to repeal the business privilege tax in Sanford (click here to learn more or sign petitions) , the city-owned golf club professional, David Von Canon, told city leaders at their annual retreat that that he hopes to shift attention from the finan­cial aspects of the golf course to its role in the community. By financial aspects, he means the $250,000 a year the city loses operating the course--more than the new business privilege tax brings in. No duh! (See article at Sanford Herald)

Strain on Schools May Snag Business Growth After All

According the Sanford Herald's headline for its story on BRAC impact's boost biz, put a strain on schools". (Learn about BRAC).

According to BRAC Regional Task Force Executive Director Paul Dordal, Lee County could have 1,600 new residents by 2013 directly resulting from the military’s planned expansion of Fort Bragg. The real question, however, is how well will the county capitalize on the expected influx of high paying jobs. Sanford alone, he said, could see an influx of 1,000 to 3,000 high-paying jobs if the proper measures are taken to coax contractors and other support businesses to the area. “Lee County is ideally situ­ated between the Triangle and Fort Bragg to bring in not only new residents, but business,” Dordal said.“But it is some­thing we have to work on.”

And what did he say we needed to work on most? Schools, specifically planning for the capital investment in schools. Oddly enough, as reported previously, planning for capital improvement is the one thing that the Lee County Commissioners does not want to discuss with the Lee County Board of Education at their upcoming meeting. See the update on this meeting.

So, to borrow a phrase from Ross Perot, the faint sucking sound is the potential BRAC-induced jobs slowing being sucked out of the county by the deadlock between the Commissioners and the Board of Education.