RFP Staff
♦Monday evening the Rowan County Commissioners met with the Rowan-Salisbury School Board for mediation at the County Agricultural Building on Old Concord Road. The joint mediation session is called for under North Carolina law for resolving budget disputes. The school board contends the county’s budget is inadequate for funding the school system. The county commissioners believe otherwise.
Video highlights include the opening segment delivered by a School Board attorney Richard Schwartz who employed a lengthy PowerPoint presentation of the School Board’s case. Mr. Schwartz pressed the notion that the county could bare the schools’ capital and operation requests without raising taxes. In the presentation of the County Commission case Commission Chairman Jim Sides, County Manager Gary Page, and Commission Vice-Chairman Craig Pierce hammered away at the reality and numbers involved in attorney Schwartz’s PowerPoint case. Both Sides and Page held up the strong possibility that unless the economy turns around, the county will likely be forced to raise taxes even without an increase in school funding.
Further highlights to look for in the videos are the discussion by County Attorney Jay Dees, Gary Page’s discussion of Rowan County’s current fund balance, Jim Side’s case that the School Board’s dispute should be aimed at the state. Chairman Sides argued that state statutes direct the legislature to fund the school operations and the county to fund capital needs. Sides illustrated his case by mentioning that out of 115 state school systems, our school system was the 38th highest in per pupil funding and 17th highest in total local funding. Sides said: “Based on per capita income, Rowan County was in 60th place in its ability to fund its school system.”
Vice Chairman Craig Pierce proposed the county borrow 30 million dollars to give the schools up front for capital needs, including a much needed new elementary school for West Rowan’s Cleveland and Woodleaf. Money left over from the proposed loan might be employed for other capital needs except new building construction and purchasing land. Commissioner Mike Caskey agreed with Pierce’s proposal.
Below are the videos containing the entire joint meeting. To go to the County Commissioner presentation simply click on the bar saying: “Rowan County Commission Presentation”
http://rowancountync.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=390
