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A billion?

Nope, this has nothing to do with long-term movie deals or a football team.

It's the roadmap for the county's next set plan to build new schools, emergency bases, fund new infrastructure and finish off some ongoing projects.

The Guilford County Capital Investment Plan, 2009-2010 (proposed).

"There are just some choices that have to be made over the next few years," said Michael Halford, the county's budget manager, "and we'll see how all these moving parts will get  together."

With about a half-billion in projects underway, and another half billion that may lie ahead, it looks like there's going to be plenty of moving parts.

Commissioners got their first crack at the CIP this past Thursday. Some highlights:

• Ongoing projects, such as the approved bonds for the $115 million county jail complex or $467 million for county schools are included in the plan.
• New money would go to Guilford Technical Community College, which expects $366  million in new expenses. The plan includes $16.5  million for an expanded aviation building and millions more for new or renovated training facilities for dental, continuing education, business, emergency services, hospitality, general classrooms, land and support facilities to go with those expansions at campuses in High Point, Greensboro and Jamestown.
• Emergency services would receive $67.5 million  to build or replace three EMS stations across the county, combine EMS and city fire service at four existing bases and spend $65 million  to upgrade the county’s communication system, a shared expense with Greensboro.
• Proposed legislature in the General Assembly could change the age for juvenile offenders, meaning that more room would be needed at the county’s juvenile detention center. An expansion and related staff for that would cost $11.3 million  through 2019 .

This is the most comprehensive update, Halford said, in at least five years.

"Voter just approved  a good amount of  bonds," he said, of the large figure. "And we’re a big county and we have a big school system. This is the bones of the organization."