Loudon County Budget meeting

1. When you do not have, in your hands, a permit to access Hwy. 11 you do not have a viable school project.   That access MUST be permitted before you approve issuing new bonds.  You could very well find out that it will take several million dollars to rectify the problems with Hwy. 11 the school traffic will cause; and, the state won’t issue a permit until you pay for the road work they demand.  Please do not vote for new bonds to be issued when you may not even be able to use that site due to road work expense.

2. Re:  the $4.34 Million dollar shortfall between 2028-2033, as was shown in the packet at the budget meeting: exactly how does the Budget Committee have that shortfall covered? Strangely, that was never addressed in the meeting I attended. It needs to be addressed before the vote on new bonds.

 The bond salesman stated that he wants another note paid off in the amount of ~$3 million I believe.  Where is that money coming from? Again, nobody said anything about how that was going to be paid off at the Budget Committee meeting.  Is the Budget Committee planning another tax increase to cover that? We need to hear UPFRONT how that shortfall is going to be covered before there is a vote taken to issue new bonds.

3. We need to know UPFRONT what the estimated operating costs for that massive school is before we vote to issue a new bond.  I expect it will be huge and no doubt the future construction of a football field and track field will also be multi-millions.  This “total silence” about these critical numbers, at least in front of the public, is very disconcerting.  It is as if we are intentionally being kept in the dark. You and I both know these huge expenses ARE coming.  How are they going to be paid for?

 

This Budget Committee needs to be upfront with the Commissioners and the taxpayers on these things before you vote to issue a new bond.  No more secrets please!  The school board has taken an vow of silence or they are the worst communicators ever.  We have a right to know how these expenses are going to be handled and the buck stops with you as the Chairman of the Budget Committee.