George Hartzman continues to shine a light on the worrisome fiscal picture for Guilford County, regardless of how this year's budget process turned out.
We are using bond money for maintenance. Is this a good use of bond monies? Ordinarily, we would see them dedicated to new construction, new facilities. Would it not be more appropriate to pay for maintenance out of operating funds? The fact that the county has resorted to this seems to be somewhat of a red flag to me.
Commissioners are dipping into contingency funds to pay operating expenses:
The commissioners took $701,212 earmarked for the contingency fund, $300,000 for economic development incentives they said wouldn’t be used this year, $86,000 from fleet operations and $40,000 from information services.
“All they’re doing is moving money around,” Riddleberger said. “It’s an old political move and it’s bogus. It’s still my money, and it’s still irresponsible to be spending it this way."
Next year, and the ensuing years, are likely going to be sobering for taxpayers-- to say the least. This will be true at the federal, state and county levels.
Who voted to place the school bonds on the ballot during that infamous February 21, 2008 County Commissioners' meeting? As far as I can tell, they were, in alphabetical order: Kay Cashion, Carolyn Coleman, Bruce Davis, Paul Gibson, John Parks, Kirk Perkins, Linda Shaw, Mike Winstead and Billy Yow. The vote was 9-1. Steve Arnold was the sole vote in opposition. Skip Alston was absent. Correct me if I am wrong about the names.
We need to thank the Melderec crowd-- Action Greensboro/ Greensboro Partnership-- which actively promoted the bonds, and even gave an illegal $5,000 contribution to the Simkins PAC to get them passed.
All these folks are responsible for the manner in which Guilford County's debt problem became much more aggravated.
Is this similar to using a credit card to pay for groceries even when that card has a substantial balance that is slowly being repaid?
Posted by: Ken Hill | June 08, 2010 at 01:03 PM
"The commissioners took $701,212 earmarked for the contingency fund, $300,000 for economic development incentives they said wouldn’t be used this year, $86,000 from fleet operations and $40,000 from information services."
These numbers are on top of $34 million of reserves not publicly reported.
On top of $43 the Commissioners used up for the current fiscal year.
Posted by: George Hartzman | June 08, 2010 at 02:19 PM
It's been two years since voters approved the school bond that was "desperately needed" to build new schools in the county. The new Airport High that was originally to cost $80+ million was one of those schools. Over two years later, GCS has still to locate and purchase suitable land for the school. In fact, one of the more likely locations is maybe one mile from SWHS, which doesn't seem to be a viable location to serve that desperate need. So, when will that school be built? Why does it take GCS many years to build a school, and when they do, it is severely overpriced? A look at a recent Rhino shows about 100 GCS employees making in excess of $100,000. How many citizens in Guilford make anywhere near that much? You have to wade through many more employees before you get to basic teachers at $68,000 per year for 10 months of employment. Sorry, but the cost of public education in this county is much too high for what we get in failing students.
Posted by: Stormy | June 08, 2010 at 02:38 PM
Stormy, we have every reason to be wary of all the expenditures touted to be "critical" for the GCS system.
George, if you are still there, please spell out in greater detail, for the benefit of readers, further explanation regarding those two last sentences in your previous comment.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | June 08, 2010 at 02:47 PM
Ken, BTW, what Guilford County is doing is very similar to what you describe.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | June 08, 2010 at 05:03 PM
My math says Guilford County expects to bring in about $536 in FY 2010/11
starting July 1, 2010.
They plan to spend $570 million.
The $34 million difference is reserve spending, which will be gone next year.
So if the county plans to borrow and spend about $51 million and spend $34 of savings in the same year.
That's how Greece happened.
That's stealing from our kids. They will get the bill when they start paying taxes.
Considering our differing religious beliefs Joe, I believe we will both agree that one generation leaving exessive debt to our children is immoral.
The Commissioners voted to screw their own kids, and everybody elses.
Posted by: George Hartzman | June 08, 2010 at 06:40 PM
I do agree, George. It IS immoral to stick kids with that kind of debt. Grown-ups are supposed to be in the business of making sacrifices, and subjugating their own interests, for their kids. Our politics are inverting that relationship.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | June 08, 2010 at 08:50 PM
Joe, you are lying about Linda Shaw's vote on the school bonds. I don't care what the videotape shows.
Posted by: Spag | June 08, 2010 at 09:31 PM
Sam, I am glad you have a sense of humor about it. Yes, Linda Shaw is guilty. And there are a couple of other Republican commissioners who share that distinction.
We can expect this type of behavior among Democratic commissioners. But it is very sad to see it among Republican commissioners.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | June 08, 2010 at 09:34 PM