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Commission denies funding for new schools
Dennis Slager.jpg
Commissioner Dennis Slager was questioned by fellow Commissioner Bruce Malone if the words in his motion were his or those of Mayor Stribling. - photo by Duane Sherrill

The DeKalb County Commission had a very active week as the budget committee met last Wednesday night to discuss the board of education’s request for a minimum of $48,685,000 for new schools, Thursday night the entire commission met for its regular monthly meeting of the whole and Monday night the regular monthly meeting was held. The outcome – the commission voted to deny the school board’s latest request for funding and whether or not the chairman of the budget committee will be ousted is still up in the air.

Last Wednesday night the county budget committee met to discuss the school board’s request for funding new schools, but before that discussion could be held, the committee voted three to two to remove Budget Chairman Dennis Slager.

Immediately after Slager called the budget committee meeting to order Wednesday night, fifth district commissioner and member of the committee Anita Puckett asked to speak and called out Slager for his take charge approach during a recent joint meeting between the budget committee and the Board of Education.

Puckett told Slager that in their meeting with the budget committee and the board of education, in her opinion Mr. Slager dominated that meeting. She remarked that he tried to control and manipulate the entire meeting, sharing his opinion as speaking for the whole committee.

Slager said he did not deny anyone the opportunity to speak and if anyone did not take that opportunity that was their fault.

During that meeting the budget committee heard directly from the Board of Education for the first time on its request for funding the construction of two new pre-K to 8th grade schools and renovating Northside to a pre-K to 8 facility. Slager offered a possible alternative to the project through which the county might be able to fund a pre-K to 2 school through a USDA financing program without a property tax increase. Slager said at the time he planned to share more details with the budget committee at a later time.

Puckett took offense to Slager’s having made that alterative public without first making the committee aware of it. She told Slager his idea for revenue should have been shared with the committee only before it was discussed with the board of education or the public.

Puckett cited TCA 5-12-104 regarding a 1957 county budget law and the makeup of the county budget committee then moved to remove Slager as Chairman of the budget committee and to make County Mayor Stribling the ex officio chairman of the committee.

Sabrina Farler, second district commissioner and member of the budget committee, offered a second to the motion. Fifth district commissioner and budget committee member Jerry Adcock joined Puckett and Farler in voting to oust Slager as budget committee chairman. Sixth district commissioner and budget committee member Jeff Barnes joined Slager in voting no.

During the budget session the committee did vote 5-0 to deny the school board’s latest proposal for a multi pre-K to 8 school construction project feeling it was something the county could not afford long term and still be able to fund other future needs. The request was for a minimum of $48,685,000.

Steve Bates, the county’s financial advisor, said while the county could issue bonds of $55 million to cover the school board’s request the annual debt payment to the county would be $3 million a year for up to 25 years and new revenue would be needed to fund it. Such a long term obligation would also hamper the county’s efforts to fund other needed projects in the coming years, such as perhaps another new school or jail.

Mayor Tim Stribling said if you do $55 million at $3 million a year you’re looking at a minimum of a 60 cent property tax increase. He also said a $50 wheel tax would only generate about one million dollars a year and the property tax rate would still need to be raised by probably 40 cents.

The following night during Thursday night’s regular meeting of the whole, Commissioner Jerry Adcock recanted his vote to oust Slager.

Adcock said his vote was in support of the county following existing state law/private acts pertaining to DeKalb County in the makeup and procedures governing the budget committee. Adcock said it was not a vote against Slager. He went on to apologize for any misinterpretation others may have perceived by his vote and added that he did not think the budget committee could have a better person as chairman.

Monday night 10 commissioners followed the budget committee’s recommendation and voted to deny the school board’s request for funding fearing the construction project was something the county could not afford long term and still be able to fund other future needs. Voting for the budget committee’s recommendation were commissioners Dennis Slager, Sabrina Farler, Myron Rhody, Bobby Johnson, Jenny Trapp, Anita Puckett, Jerry Adcock, Jeff Barnes, Beth Pafford and Bruce Malone. Voting against the committee’s recommendation were commissions Scott Little and Janice Fish Stewart. Commissions Julie Young and Matt Adcock were absent from the meeting.

Third district commissioner Jenny Trapp said while she would vote to deny the school board’s request, renewed efforts should be made to address immediate and long range school construction needs.

“I will vote to concur with the budget committee’s recommendation but it has not been an easy decision for me. I am committed to funding a new school while also being mindful of the taxpayers. I am disappointed that the conversations continue to happen between the county commission and the board of education but yet no progress is ever made. I personally would like to see a long term plan from the board of education about our immediate and forthcoming building needs and then ask that the budget committee to create a long term financial plan that meets those needs. We are elected to make those tough decisions and as a commissioner, not on the budget committee, a lack of information presented to the rest of the commission has been frustrating. I would ask that the budget committee members be mindful of this as we continue our important work,” said Commissioner Trapp.

“We are going to have to build a school but we have to consider the taxpayers. What we are trying to do now is to hammer out how much (cost), how long (time table) and what kind of school (to build). The school (plan) that was presented was to make (expand) Northside for 650 students and about 700 students (capacity) for the other two new schools proposed. What we need is to see what we can do to make Northside and the second school (new school) a little bit larger than what we wanted to handle this crisis because we may soon be busting at the seams. If we made them at 900 (capacity) that would be a heck of a job for a principal and staff but we have to reach some happy medium so that we can divide this up and not break the county and taxpayers,” said Commissioner Jerry Adcock.

Mayor Tim Stribling also addressed the issue of removing Dennis Slager as the budget committee chairman. Stribling had told the committee he would contact CTAS to determine if the county was under the 1957 budget act to which Commissioner Anita Puckett based her motion to remove Slager as chairman.

Mayor Stribling said he had talked with Ben Rogers with CTAS multiple times, and he was under the impression our county is not under the ’57 budget act but under the 1993 act. However, a final determination by Rogers had not been given prior to Monday night’s meeting. Mayor Stribling said the committee stands the way it is until he can get a better ruling from CTAS.

When asked by the mayor if anyone had comments, Commissioners Bruce Malone, Janice Fish Stewart, Sabrina Farler and Dennis Slager spoke up. Commissioner Malone asked about policies or laws concerning changes within committees, Commissioner Stewart said the commission should act as one body doing what is best for the citizens of DeKalb County while Commissioner Farler shared that knowing more about what CTAS says about the 1957 budget act would clarify some things.

Commissioner Dennis Slager spoke up to say, “I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I have to agree with Janice we have to come to a conclusion to where this doesn’t happen again.

“My concern is that the budget committee is becoming a committee that has personal agendas and motives. The budget committee is an extremely serious committee, and we’re there to represent the people of the county. That’s every district and every citizen. When we start injecting personal opinions, motives, agendas and carrying a banner for a certain group, it appears to me that that committee can no longer function. As the chairman I want to do what’s right.

“We cannot allow personal conflicts and stuff like that to enter into any committee no matters what it is. We have to understand what our duty is in those committees. And our duties are not to vote people, appoint people, dismiss people, appoint people or ridicule people. That is not our job.

“Again this is a five member committee, and it’s only my opinion, but I do not see how this committee moves forward with those type of motives. I just don’t see how that committee can move forward and do the work of the people. It’s a serious situation that this county is in financially. We have major issues coming up, issues that are going to have to be worked on; we cannot have personal feelings involved in the decisions.

“I would ask you, as the chairman and county mayor to consider, in the best interest of the county to look at maybe reappointing this committee. And find five people, regardless of who they are, that can be independent, have no motive, no agendas and serious about solving the problems of this county,” Slager finished.