Orange County considers bonds to fund repairs

The Orange County Board of Commissioners is discussing the possibility of placing a bond referendum estimated to be worth between $100 and $125 million on the 2016 ballot.

There are more than $300 million worth of repairs needed for Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Board of Commissioners Chairman Barry Jacobs said.

The revenue that would be generated from the bond referendum would go toward paying for these repairs.

Each school has to be considered individually when it comes to determining the amount of renovations needed, said Seth Stephens, spokesman for Orange County Schools.

“Some schools have more age on them than others,” Stephens said.

“Along with renovations, safety and security issues have to be taken care of as well.”

The school district is looking to build new connectors for buildings and walkways.

The money will also be used to fund maintenance projects on schools so that the buidlings will last as long as possible.

As the population grows, Stephens said buildings should stay maintained to guarantee a safe and secure learning environment.

It is cheaper and faster to work through renovations compared to building new schools to expand capacity, Jacobs said.

He said building one middle school facility costs around $40 million, and one elementary school facility costs around $20 to $25 million.

But there will be plans to build new schools in the future, Jacobs said.

School renovations are not the only thing that the money from the bond referendum would be used for if it is considered by commissioners, Jacobs said.

Orange County just raised taxes by two percent over the summer.

The money from the increased taxes also went toward local schools. Commissioners said it was necessary to make up for shortages in the county budget caused by cuts to state education spending.

Since there has mostly just been talk of putting a bond referendum on the 2016 ballot, he said the process is still in its preliminary stages.

Commissioner Alice Gordon said there are still many steps to take, including establishing a committee and deciding what would be appropriate to include in the bond referendum, which could take several months.

Gordon said commissioners have indicated they are in favor of the bond referendum.

The Board of Commissioners wants to have approval from Orange County voters, which is why commissioners want to use a bond referendum to pay for initiatives like renovating schools, Gordon said.

Jacobs said they plan on assembling a committee or campaign to educate voters of their plans.

“The main reason you want to ask voters if they approve of the projects being done is because there is a cost, which is usually in an increase in tax,” Gordon said.

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