BCR's Daily Fishwrap Report for March 13, 2009

• The BOCC seemed pleased with the scaled-back ten-year capital projects plan, scaled back from $1.1b to $790m -- largely on the back of a major reduction in capital projects proposed for Durham Public Schools, from which all but about $50m of the cuts came. (School cap-ex represented about 75% of the spending in the initial plan.)  County manager Mike Ruffin also revealed that the courthouse project's go-ahead will be reviewed in May by the BOCC based on the County's financial state at the time, though the Human Services Complex is set to go forward thanks to the low bids received from desperate contractors. (H-S)
• Separately, the decision by the Perdue administration to hold back lottery funds from school districts has created another squeeze for DPS, which had planned to use some of those funds to offset its own county budget cut. Instead, roof and HVAC projects at Jordan and Northern High totalling $1.5m in cost are being postponed. (H-S)
• BOCC chair Michael Page unveiled his priorities in his first state of the county address, highlighting core human and safety services, economic development, anti-poverty initiatives (including encouraging home ownership), and youth services, while also pledging to try to avoid a tax increase this year. (H-S, N&O)

Comments

[tina]

Ok was the Jordan & Northern roof & HVAC part of a bond? It really seems like bond money is getting moved around to areas that were specified on the bond, which doesn't seem legal. Someone set me straight if this is wrong! But it does seem like at the very least bonds are passed to pay for some school capital projects and then the other non-bond money is allocated by the county to pay for other school capital projects. It's these projects the BOCC cuts when they get a budget squeeze. And I bet they are come back w/ a request for a bond to pay for those!!! The BOCC HAS TO STOP making so many cuts to the schools. Durham will NEVER be a great city without great schools! So what if we have a DPAC & a field of dreams. People won't LIVE here and pay taxes here if the schools crumble and fail.