THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 23, 1997 TAG: 9702230186
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: 86 lines
The chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners has appointed a three-member committee to work with a similar panel from the Board of Education in an attempt to hammer out a rapid compromise in the controversial proposed $59.5 million school bond package.
Robert V. ``Bobby'' Owens Jr.'s action came shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday at the conclusion of a marathon 14 hours of meetings concerning the proposed spending plan. About 100 citizens, most veterans of a series of public meetings held in the past six weeks, stayed until the bitter end.
``I'd like to see us work out a compromise-type solution,'' Owens said. ``We've got a lot of issues that need to be worked out.''
Owens appointed Commissioners Shirley Hassell, Geneva Perry and Doug Langford to the committee. School Board Chairwoman Donna Buxton said she would have appointments prepared by Monday morning.
The two boards will be working in a tight time frame. Commissioners may decide late this week on the final form for the bond package. By March 5, a resolution must be submitted to the state for approval. And by April 7, county commissioners must hold a public hearing, and then vote on whether to hold a referendum on the funding package. If a referendum is approved, the countywide vote would be held May 20.
The commission has wide leeway in terms of altering the school board's bond proposal. The seven-member governing board can approve or reject the package as is, or remove or add certain projects.
THE COMMISSION'S COMPROMISE effort came in the wake of Perry's introduction of an alternative plan.
Under the Perry proposal, classroom additions and deferred maintenance issues would be paid for through Certificates of Participation (COPS). Under COPS, the board of commissioners could immediately fund projects such as school repair and renovation, with a simple vote of a majority.
New construction projects - such as a new beach high school, and a new elementary school at Cape Hatteras - would be funded in a general obligation bond. Final approval of the bond would need to come through a countywide referendum.
``I feel that we need to provide a level playing field for the voters,'' Perry said.
``If we want to get to the core issue, it's the high school on the beach. On the other elements, there's no question we need repairs and additional classrooms. If we need additional classrooms or a new gym, we should do it. If a high school on the beach is a worthy idea, it will pass. If not, it won't. I don't want to have people held hostage because they think, `I have to vote for this, or we won't get what we want.' ''
AS EXPECTED, Perry's compromise drew praise from opponents of the bond issue and derision from supporters of the school plan.
As for school board members, most said they were willing to listen, while at the same time expressing confidence in the proposal as it is.
``I don't want this misunderstood, I'm comfortable with the bond package as it sits right now,. . . '' board member Loretta Michael said. ``I do not think that this was a package thrown together to appease some sections of the community.''
Fletcher Willey, also on the school board, expressed hope that the two panels would learn a lesson from the past.
In 1988, he said, the school board put forth a $30 million bond, which was reduced at the eleventh hour to $19.75 million. Educators had to come back to the commission to ask for an additional $6 million after bond money ran out.
``I really hope,'' Willey said, ``we maintain present estimates, with a 20 percent addition (for inflation) so that no project gets left undone. I hope that we learn from history. We've got a long way to go.''
But board member Virginia Tillett urged her colleagues to try to find common ground with commissioners. ``I think we need to listen,'' she said. ``That doesn't mean you have to change your mind. But let's try to negotiate and reach a consensus.''
School board members pointed out that work on school construction goes back more than a decade.
Commissioner Richard Johnson was not impressed.
Johnson said, holding up a stack of school district-supplied information on the bond: ``I just got some of this information today. If you've been doing this for 12 years, we should have started this six months ago.''
``I keep hearing about the children,'' Johnson added. ``But we have to represent all the people of Dare County. Not everybody's rich. You talk about how this will only raise taxes about the price of a candy bar every day. But some people can't afford two to three candy bars.''
The commission may hold a special meeting as early as Thursday, Johnson said Saturday morning.