HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Hamilton County Commission recently passed a resolution authorizing millions of dollars in bonds for school facilities.
But school board members say even with this money issued, they fear higher costs as their plans move forward.
District 2 board member Marco Perez says…
“It was a very painful process in the last year.”
Perez says he knows this project will eventually cost more than the bonds they received.
“Did we get everything we want? Probably not. Is it gonna cost more? Yes. Just like health care, everything will cost more a year from now than it does today,” Perez.
This is what county commission says they want the money to be issued towards:
Versus what the bond provides:
Adding in an extra $85 million of other needs that the county says the schools need:
- $60 million for deferred maintenance
- $10 million for general government projects
- $5 million towards recreation investments
- $10 million for Wastewater Investments
Jill Black, District 11 board member, says…
“I was frustrated, to say the least, to see other projects within the county government tacked on to a bond that was supposed to be for schools.”
Black says Clifton Hills Elementary was promised more than can be given with how the commission voted on the bonds.
“When we vote on something, say that this community is getting a new school, and then it’s taken away… That hurts the trust in us and we weren’t the ones that made that decision. That’s upsetting,” Black says.
The department says the money would go towards projects in Soddy-Daisy.
Some commissioners say this is just a band-aid for the county’s waste water projects.
Commissioner Warren Mackey says the county needs to be more efficient with tax payer dollars.
Board Member Ben Connor says this issuing of bonds has created a disconnect, and now they need to come together to try to figure it out.
“We’ve got to figure out how we can do this. Obviously, some of these projects won’t be able to be funded because, simply put, there’s $1 amount that’s attached to them, and there’s not enough in the bond issue. So there will be questions that this school board will have to vote on, to change, and to navigate the monies that we have been allocated from Hamilton County Commission.”
Connor says they are still figuring out how they will get the funding model for the bond.