The Burlington, N.C., City Council reviewed the Alamance-Burlington School System and Alamance Community College bonds during their work session meeting on Monday.
Cindy Brady, the coordinator with Vote 3 for Education, presented the information to the council. The $190 million in proposed bonds -- $150 million for Alamance County's six high schools, two elementary schools and new high school, and $39.6 million for Alamance Community College -- will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot.
"Certainly I wouldn't be here if I did not believe in it and think it was the right thing for our community," Brady said.
Councilmember Bob Ward presented a proposed resolution in support of the bonds for the purpose of improving economic opportunities and the overall quality of life in the city of Burlington. Alamance News Publisher Tom Boney voiced several concerns to the council about the bonds, including the idea that Cummings would become a school of the arts and that the board would be receiving the bond at all.
"I also have to insert a future editorial comment and actually a past one that the idea of giving the school board so much money to take care of these schools when they have done such a poor job. ...There is no reason they should have it today," Boney said.
Boney added that shortcomings within the administration are why the schools are in such a mess and that the bond referendum would not fix this.
The council agreed to put Ward's proposed resolution with finalized wording on the regular meeting agenda under new business for Tuesday, Oct. 2.
The bonds are broken down as:
- Cummings High School would receive $10,867,063;
- Williams High School would receive $4,646,400;
- Graham High School would receive $7,619,063;
- Western Alamance High School would receive $12,400,611;
- Eastern High School would receive $11,657,249;
- Southern Alamance High School would receive $20,661,931;
- Pleasant Grove Elementary would receive $6,474,192;
- South Mebane Elementary would receive $8,482,880;
- The new high school in Mebane, would receive $67,012,616 for land acquisition, utilities, school building construction, athletic fields and associated buildings, parking and driveways and stormwater measures; and
- Alamance Community College would receive $39.6 million.
The Trustees of Alamance Community College passed a resolution to ask the Alamance County Board of Commissioners to consider approving a bond referendum on Jan. 8, 2019. The ABSS Board of Education also passed a resolution requesting the commissioners to consider a bond referendum on Feb. 28, 2019. The commissioners approved the bond order for the ABSS request and the ACC request on Monday, April 16.
The council also reviewed two annexation requests. The first was for sewer service for a property at 1198 Colony Ave. The property is contiguous to current city limits and would bridge an area to a current satellite city limit property. A one-time debt service payment of $961.06 would be made to EM Holt Fire district. A public hearing for the request was set for Oct. 16 at the regular city council meeting.
The second request was for a property at water service at 1034 N. Graham-Hopedale Road. The property is not contiguous to current city limits as it is two lots past the current city limits but it is serviceable. A one-time debt service payment of $135.44 would be made to Faucette Fire District. A public hearing for the request was set for Oct. 16 at the regular city council meeting.
