Jim Sides, Rowan County Commission Chairman
♦Commissioners,
You have all received the email from the City of Salisbury. They are requesting a letter in support of the downtown central office building for the local school system from the Board of County Commissioners by Friday, September 6, 2013. The City of Salisbury has also requested a vote of support for a long term lease with the school system for this facility. This issue was handled by the BOC earlier this year based on a 3-2 vote not to support a downtown central office with Rowan County taxpayer funds. The City of Salisbury then inserted themselves as a stakeholder in this project by agreeing to fund and build the central office for the school system. I have never supported this idea in the past. Neither have I taken any public action, locally or with the Local Government Commission in Raleigh, to oppose this project, as is continually reported by the local media.
I will not be writing a letter of support or opposition for this project. I will not be calling a special meeting to vote in support or opposition of this project. I will not be adding a discussion of this project to our agenda at anytime in the near future.
Three commissioners, if they so choose, may override the decisions I have outlined above at any time. I certainly welcome your input and will comply with your wishes. However, I will continue to comply with what the majority of this board has decided in the past until that position changes.
I wish the City of Salisbury well with their application to the Local Government Commission, if they desire to proceed. However, this is in no way an endorsement of this project, nor of their actions to credit the Board of County Commissioners and county staff with its failure. This is a stand alone project for the City of Salisbury. They are the lone stakeholder, and this project will succeed or fail on its own merits. The Board of County Commissioners is in no way involved.
Respectfully,
Jim Sides, Chairman Rowan County Board of Commissioners
Letter from City Clerk Myra Heard, City Clerk:
Please share the following request from Salisbury City Council with the Rowan County Board of Commissioners. At its meeting last night, City Council took action requesting the Board of Commissioners send a letter to the Local Government Commission this week confirming public statements made in the Salisbury Post that they will not legally challenge the downtown Central School Office project and will not interfere with the City’s application or the project. Council requests the letter indicate the Board of Commissioners is happy this item is off their plate, that the Rowan-Salisbury School System employees will have a safe working environment, and the Board wishes the City well in its partnership with Rowan-Salisbury School System on this project. The City Council asked that such a letter be provided by Friday, September 6, and the City Council felt this would be an easy and simple request as the letter would only confirm public statements already made by Rowan County officials.
City Council further directed the City Manager to reinstate the City’s application with the Local Government Commission upon receipt of the County’s letter, as it should address the Local Government Commission’s discomfort with a potential legal challenge directed by the County.
The Board further requested, that as a sign of partnership, the Rowan County Board of Commissioners agree not to oppose a long-term lease for the facility. Council requested this action be taken in an open meeting of the County Commissioners.
Thank you for your assistance in sharing Council’s request. We look forward to a prompt response to this matter.
Myra
Myra B. Heard,CMC, NCCMC
City of Salisbury
City Clerk/Assistant to the City Manager
