THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 3, 1995 TAG: 9502030599
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Pasquotank County Commissioners voted on Thursday to borrow funds for building a middle school without holding a bond referendum.
Commissioner Patsy McGee motioned to pursue up to $24 million in ``certificates of participation'' to pay for a middle school and several other already approved construction projects totaling $10 million.
The projects aim to curb overcrowding problems in the growing system.
Certificates of participation, or COPs, are similar to bonds, County Manager Randy Keaton said. But they do not require the approval of voters and have a longer term of repayment, reducing annual debt service.
Payments on $24 million in COPs would be about $2 million a year, officials said.
Commissioners also agreed to consider a bond referendum of $15 million or more to build a new high school, if repayment sources can be identified for that project.
Commissioner Jimmie Dixon cast the only dissenting vote to McGee's motion, saying he supported the construction but believed voters should have the ultimate say on such a major project.
The decisions, which followed more than 90 minutes of sometimes heated discussion over building plans, came the day after residents at a public meeting voiced support for building both a middle school and a high school as soon as possible.
``I thought it was pretty positive,'' Superintendent Joseph Peel said of Wednesday's public meeting. ``People realize that we've got a situation at the middle school that is intolerable, and that it is becoming that way at the high school.''
Officials had identified the middle school as their highest priority, and had said they were looking for input on whether to seek a referendum for a middle school only, or to throw in a high school.
After meeting with the Local Government Commission, the state agency that approves county borrowing, officials said they were convinced that the middle school could be built more quickly and less expensively through COPs.
Commissioners on Thursday acknowledged they could not find enough money to pay off their $10 million in approved construction, plus build a middle school and a high school.
``I don't feel comfortable going for both the middle school and the high school right now when we don't know how we can fund the high school,'' McGee said after the meeting. ``I feel comfortable with where we're going.''
McGee said she hopes that in the near future, the state approves some means, such as a local sales tax, for local governments to raise money for school construction. That would clear the way for a high school bond referendum, perhaps this fall.
To serve the Elizbeth City-Pasquotank Schools in the meantime, commissioners grudgingly approved buying six modular classroom units for the coming school year. First, they extracted a semi-guarantee from Peel that more units would not be needed next year if things go as planned.
The $10 million in approved construction concentrates on adding classrooms to Central, Northside and Pasquotank elementaries, as well as overhauling J.C. Sawyer Elementary and improving the existing middle school.
Before money can be borrowed for the middle school project, the county must find and purchase a site to build on. County officials said they are looking at several sites.
Also Thursday, the commissioners recommended that the School Board hire a project manager to keep tabs on the building efforts under way. by CNB