Published: August 19, 2008 07:33 pm         

Commission says give school board 3 cents from debt service

Another emotion-charged meeting at the Cumberland County Courthouse Monday night left dozens in tears and at least as many outraged after Cumberland County commissioners failed to reach a figure to raise property taxes for the school system. Commissioners instead indicated they would fund no more than three cents from the debt service fund and approve no property tax increase for the school system.

Multiple tax increase scenarios were considered for a vote in order to give the Board of Education a figure to work with for its budget, but the final motion that passed in an 11-7 vote was one which gives the school system three cents from the county's debt service line. That same three cents from debt service is the current amount the school system received from the county this year.

The approval was met with many moans and groans from an audience of spectators who were beginning to become hostile after hours of negotiations among commissioners.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. Get our schools open now," said Dan Bosteels.

Warren Jacobsen, a retired Cumberland County commissioner, said, "Mr. Tollett and Mr. Lynch, you should be holding a marathon work session with the Board of Education where you can sit down and look each other in the eye and negotiate until you can get this settled."

Terry Bowen scolded several commissioners including 5th District Commissioner Sharon York, 3rd District Commissioner Lynn Tollett and 8th District Commissioner Greg Maxwell.

Bowen said there were eight people who called all the commissioners urging them to raise property taxes and support the school system and many of the commissioners told them all they were the first call they got supporting a tax increase.

"That's eight for eight people who were told the same thing. I was told the same thing. Nobody's getting fooled by this," Bowen said.

Maxwell told one person he had more than 100 calls and e-mails urging him not to raise any taxes.

"I'm voting the way people are talking," he said.

The passionate pleas continued at the end of the meeting for more than 30 minutes.

Earlier in the meeting commissioners considered a property tax increase of 25 cents introduced by 9th District Commissioner Clyde Cramer. It was supported by 1st District Commissioner Jim Inman. Voting in favor of it were commissioners Harry Sabine, 1st District; Nancy Hyder and Rob Harrison, 2nd District; and Wendell Wilson, 6th District.

Voting against the 25-cent increase were commissioners Johnny Presley and Lynn Tollett, 3rd District; David Gibson and Charles Seiber, 4th District; Sharon York and Jack Davis, 5th District; Terry Carter, 6th District; Kenneth Carey and Mike Harvel, 7th District; Greg Maxwell and Jeff Brown, 8th District; and Carmin Lynch, 9th District.

Hyder then made a recommendation of an 18-cent tax increase for the school system. The vote was split the same way except Commissioner Brown changed his vote from no to yes. It was defeated 11-7.

Lynch then made a motion for a 12-cent increase plus the three cents from debt service. That motion failed in a 10-8 vote. Voting in favor were Sabine, Inman, Hyder, Harrison, Wilson, Brown, Cramer and Lynch.

Voting against it were Presley, Tollett, Gibson, Seiber, York, Davis, Carter, Harvel, Carey and Maxwell.

Inman then made a motion for a 12-cent increase and that was defeated.

"I don't think that will meet the state's required maintenance of effort," Wilson said.

"There will have to be a lot of programs cut at this rate," Hyder said.

Hyder then made a motion for a 15-cent increase plus three cents from debt service. That failed in the same split vote of 11-7.

Tollett then said, "I have no idea where to go with it."

He then made a motion for a five-cent increase that was met with many moans and groans and shouts. Commissioner Harrison supported it for the sake of discussion.

Only Tollett and Harrison supported that increase. All others voted no.

"I need some direction from the full commission here," Tollett said.

Cumberland County Mayor Brock Hill asked if there were some commissioners who supported any increase.

Nobody raised there hands on voting for zero, five abstained and 13 voted no.

"Can we recess for a caucus here?" Tollett asked.

Hill said, "No. You should be able to do it without recessing for a caucus."

Inman then made a motion for a 17-cent increase and it failed in the same 11-7 split vote.

Motions for a 14-cent and 16-cent increase all failed with the same 11-7 split vote.

Commissioner Harvel then made the motion of three cents from the debt service fund with no tax increase. It was supported by Commissioner Gibson.

"I'm not sure what the schools will do with this. We're not meeting the maintenance of effort," Wilson said.

"There's 17 new positions they cut," Harvel said.

"We're not telling the BOE what to cut. It's their decision," Lynch said.

"We're always talking gas this and gas that. They may chose not to run transportation," Hyder said.

The motion passed in an 11-7 vote.

Voting in favor of Harvel's motion were commissioners Harrison, Presley, Gibson, Seiber, York, Davis, Carter, Harvel, Carey, Maxwell and Cramer.

Voting against Harvel's motion were commissioners Sabine, Inman, Hyder, Tollett, Wilson, Brown and Lynch.

Harrison later explained his yes vote was in fear that the BOE would not be given any other funds by the commission and in an effort to get the BOE a figure to work with.

The Cumberland County Budget Committee will meet Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. to discuss a budget review with the EMS director and a budget review with Cumberland County Sheriff Butch Burgess. The committee will also discuss the review of the sanitation and landfill department's budget and attempt to finalize the county's general fund. The BOE budget is not on the committee's agenda. The meeting will be in the small courtroom of the Cumberland County Courthouse. The public is welcome to attend.