Today commissioners, with board member Carolyn Johnson absent, approved a resolution to move forward with the planning. Board Chair James Pierce voted against the measure, with commissioners Vernon Bryant, Rives Manning, Marcelle Smith and Rachel Hux voting in the affirmative.

The referendum would address school construction needs in all three systems within the county, including a new school in the Halifax system to coincide with a larger development plan; improvements to Weldon High School and a new Manning Elementary School. It also includes a new bus garage or improvements to the current county bus garage, which serves all three school systems.

The timeline for continued discussion of the matter includes the board's August 4 meeting at 9:30 a.m. in Halifax as well as a public hearing tentatively scheduled for August 18.

County Attorney Glynn Rollins presented the resolution. The resolution says the referendum would address $27 million in capital needs within the county school system; $23 million within the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District and $8 million within Weldon City Schools.

The referendum, if the entire $58 million were issued at once, which Rollins and County Manager Tony Brown said would be unlikely, would equate to a 12.9 cents tax increase.

Should the board decide to move forward with putting the referendum on the ballot, the question would not breakdown the specific projects, Rollins said.

Instead it would only say the county is considering authorizing $58 million in school bonds, whether it be for new construction or replacement, land acquisition, furnishings and equipment or other facilities.

Rollins said this wording is advised by the Local Government Commission in case one of the school systems deems it is not wise to move forward with original plans.

Most of the items that the bond referendum would cover are in the county's school improvement plan, commissioners said during discussion of the matter.

For instance, $23 million has been the quoted cost of a new Manning Elementary School while $8 million has been the quoted cost of improvements to Weldon High School.

Rollins said the $28 million for Halifax County Schools would build a new Eastman School. The Eastman school project, according to school system spokesman Keith Hoggard, is part of a multi-layered long-term facility development plan that involves the following:

• Davie Middle School would become a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school while Everette's school would close.

• Brawley school would be renovated and reopened and become a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school while Dawson and Scotland Neck Primary would close.

• Enfield Middle School would become a pre-kindergarten to eighth-grade school.

• There would be a new Eastman school, which would become a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school while Hollister elementary and Pittman elementary would close.

•Aurelian Springs, which takes pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students, would remain open.

Commissioner Vernon Bryant said he was concerned why capital needs at Halifax Community College couldn't be addressed.

Rollins explained community colleges come under a separate bond referendum.

Bryant also wanted to know further details of what kind of tax increase could be expected if the referendum should be placed on the ballot and passes but projects are done in phases.

“It depends on how many bonds we sell,” Pierce said.

Rollins said should the referendum get on the ballot and pass the county will most likely not issue the entire bonds at once.

The projects can financed for 20 years at lower interest rates than going through banks, Brown said earlier in the discussion, and the issues the bond referendum would address is something the county will eventually have to face. “The schools are not going away.”

Said Rollins: “Either way, it's going to cost the taxpayers at some point. It's going to cost money. If we borrow all of it today, it's a 12.9 cents tax increase.”

The tax impact if the projects are done in stages would depend on many factors, Brown said, including future revenues.

“There are a lot of variables that have to be considered,” said Pierce.

Smith made the motion to move forward with the process on a second by Hux.

Explaining why he voted against the matter, Pierce said it goes back to his belief there should be only one school system in the county instead of the three. “If we had one school system and one superintendent it would make things more efficient. It could be done for a lot less than $58 million, but we're letting politics and personal crap get in the way. It's still a waste of taxpayer money.”