Former Guilford County Commissioner Alan Branson has been fighting the $1.7 billion school bond referendum that voters approved in the May 2022 primary election – and that has greatly displeased many school bond supporters who are now blaming Branson for holding up school repairs and construction by his official complaints to the local and state board of elections and by, possibly, continuing the battle in court.
However, Branson – who said this week that the matter is in fact likely to end up in court – also said that his current actions aren’t holding up any plans that Guilford County Schools has for the money. The reason is this: It usually takes a long time between the time a bond is approved by voters and the time that that money is spent by the school system. Branson said that if the courts ultimately find that the passage of the $1.7 billion school bond was handled properly and should be certified, then the Guilford County school system would have lost exactly zero days when it comes to putting any of that money to use.
The election was in May and, had it not been for Branson’s protest, the Guilford County Board of Elections would have already certified the passage of the huge bond referendum and sent that along to the state board for certification. However, even if Branson hadn’t argued that Guilford County and the school system illegally used taxpayer money to promote the passage of the bond referendum, it would still be a long time before the school system spent a dollar of that $1.7 billion.
After a school bond is approved, there’s a long process for the logistics of issuing the bonds and then the package must be reviewed by the county’s bond counsel and approved by the state’s Local Government Commission. Then the Board of Commissioners must approve the actual issuance of the bonds. Then the county hands the money to the school system only as it is needed for projects.
Also, Guilford County voters approved $300 million in school bond money in 2020, and there’s still well over $100 million in school bond money from that $300 million approved in 2020 that Guilford County hasn’t even issued yet.
“I’m not holding any school projects up,” Branson said this week.
He said if the courts find that the election was legitimate and the $1.7 billion bond referendum should be certified, then the schools will have all the money as soon as they would have received it anyway – despite his legal action.
When school bond referendums were passed by voters in 2008, school officials pleaded with county commissioners to give them the money fast in the beginning, but Guilford County Schools was still in the process of spending that money in 2018 and school officials were up against a deadline to spend it before losing the legal right to do so.
Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston, who has been highly critical of Branson’s actions, acknowledged that there’s a lot of money left from the 2020 $300 million school bond and also that it takes a long time to issue bonds once approved, but the chairman still said Branson’s protest is holding up things.
“The schools can’t fully start the planning process until this is settled,” Alston said.
Alston is doing nothing but spreading inaccurate information…. he can’t wait to get his hands on more money when the Country already has money from the last bond. Seems like Skippy has plenty to hide, that’s his reason for the rush…. Skippy has no desire for the truth.
Branson is an idiot! Go away! We voted you out! YOU SHALL NOT PASS!
Jeff either you enjoy paying really high taxes or you don’t own any property. Either way you’re the idiot.
Aussie, Jeff is a Marxist commie! He is the woke oppressed enemy of common sense and reality. I would also bet this libtard is an entitled employee of GCS.
I hope Branson pulls this off & sends Alston a full sheet cake decorated up for the occasion!
And we still haven’t received word on any work done with any of the money received thus far. Oh yea and early on GCS claim was many parts was on back order. That was the hold up when they were granted the 300 million. Now what did they do with thee 200 million of the 300 million? Because afterwards Skip and the crew started doing walk through of a few of thee schools?
Rashone, you are all over it. The issues with the condition of OUR schools is poor leadership and a lack of consequences for the destruction of this property by the disruptive disrespectful “kids”! These idiots that call themselves doctor, this doctor that… are just out to INDOCTRINATE YOUR KIDS. Why worry about oppressing these kids with RESPONSIBILITIES when the endgame is more important than respect of self or others. Respectful behavior isn’t important, equity is. Gender theory is important. CRT is important.
We wonder how all of these acts of evil violence could occur in our schools or in our grocery stores or at our malls or at a parade celebrating the independence from tyranny. We can’t even feel safe lying in our bed at night. How did all of this evil take over? Simple! These Marxist have taken over our schools and kicked God out. They’ve let the wickedness transsexuals in to read to our YOUNGEST children and tell them this is normal. These Marxist liberals teach our YOUNGEST children to question their sexual identity in OUR SCHOOLS with OUR MONEY! They kicked out God so what replaces good and decency? Evil and wickedness! They teach our kids to hate this country and then wonder what is wrong with these idiots shooting anyone and everyone including OUR YOUNGEST CHILDREN! If these liberals weren’t teaching hate and division it wouldn’t be running rampant though our society. The guns aren’t causing this violence OUR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES ARE!
So in short, these “DOCTORS” of EDUCATION and these TEACHERS UNIONS are to blame for not only the destruction of OUR SCHOOLS but are responsible for the DESTRUCTION OF OUR COUNTRY!