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This calls for a job termination. If a transaction like this was committed in the private sector, someone would lose their job. Why shouldn't this be any different?

We'll lose $10k if we don't act immediately? That's a typo, right?

If we don't immediately spend the $637,500 for the property and instead put the total in a 2% money market through the State Employees' Credit Union for a year, we would earn over $10K in interest.

Why are we worried about losing $10K by jumping into something if the money (which wouldn't earn interest after being spent) will earn that by simply waiting until the right property is found?

There's an old saying: don't throw good money after bad.

The site won't support a septic system, and the community doesn't want the school there anyway. Find another site and be glad it only cost 10K. It would have been far worse if construction had already started.

So, the BOE would lose between 5% and .05% of the cost of just the septic system if they don't exercise their option and pay $10,000. And they would have property that isn't in the best interests of the good people in the Southeast part of the county who desparately need a new elementary school in that part of the county. And this creates a conundrum for the staff in charge of construction? I think they need to go back to the drawing board, work a bit harder and utilize the political clout of people in the SE part of Guilford County to find a more appropriate, more reasonable piece of land.

When I bought a lot for a house, my agreement stated the lot would have to perk, be properly zoned, etc. So the BOE gets an option on property at least 10 times more expensive than my lot and doesn't put any restrictions in the option? You're right, AirDoc. Someone should have their butt kicked.

As Panacea suggests, let's cut our losses and RUN from this fiasco!

MD

Keep in mind, the Board of Education paid over 1 million for rock mediation at the Northern Middle/High School site. This was about 20k extra per acre. Mistakes happen and there is no consequences to those that make them.

I for one hope this new school is to replace the very, very old Nathanael Greene Elem school! If anyone in the SE section of the county needs a new school, it's them. The same school since the 1930's or so, and it was rebuilt from a fire then. About the mistake, yeah I say take the cut now instead of paying more later. We don't need a school with problems from the get go. And someone should have made sure that option to back out was on the contract if the land didn't perk.

Keep in mind it is the Guilford County Board of Education and they do not have any concept of money. If they need more funds they go to the Board of Commissioners and the the public saying "its for the children". Then the editorial staff at the N&R will write an editorial supporting the request and then the usual gang of suspects will start a letter writing campaign to sway the democratic majority. When the smoke clears the schools will get the money because we don't want to deprive the children. This is the same group that came up with the slogan "putting children first" and doesn't mind having mobile classrooms on most campuses. I'm sure they brought in a consultant advising them on the land purchase. Nobody is responsible because they just followed the advice of the consultant. The Board of Education can't go to the bathroom on their own without the recommendation of a consultant. Why do we keep electing these people?

Keep in mind that Darlene Garrett found an Architect that built good buildings for considerable money that we pay in Guilford Co. The company had been very successful in designing buildings in other counties. Did the Board of Education try this architect on any buildings? No. Were they interested in how they build buildings for a lot less? No. The County Commissioners could lower the boom. Will they? No.

Oopps. "Considerable less".

The inherent problem with government spending is that it will never be spent with the same care and frugality in which the individuals taxed would have spent the money, had they been allowed to keep it.

The further the money gets away from the individual tax payer (city gov, state gov, federal, world gov) the more careless and wastefully it will be spent.

I would like to submit my email to the county commissioners...it reads as follows:

Dear Commissioners,

Has the county lost it’s mind? The people of the Southeast County communities voted on this bond as it was pushed to the residents for a LONG OVERDUE school in our growing community. Not to mention, with the outcry I am sure you experiencing, and will see first hand at Thursday’s meeting, spending an additional $5000 is throwing good money after bad. To even consider extending an option that should NOT have been made in the first place, leads me to wonder who’s palms are being greased.

Has anyone noticed the skepticism that “IS” regarding our elected officials because they are not doing what is in their constituents best interest, not to mention not living up to their words. If you do, VOTE NO.

This community IS growing and will continue to grow and we MUST fulfill the needs of this community or it will stagnate. We have already seen what happens when our community is forgotten or ignored (ie: Forest Oaks Shopping Center and an irresponsible landlord), but there are many businesses and families wishing to move here, and to the Southeast in particular, as I have seen in my own business and its growth.

The numbers don’t lie…in the 3rd quarter alone this yea,r home sales in the 27406 area (and this statics doesn’t even include Pleasant Gardens home sales) were 93 of the total 669 sales for Guilford county, 2nd only to Northwest Guilford county. McLeansville had only 22. This has been a consistent trend as 1st and 2nd quarters as well and can be seen in Dr. Jud’s Quarterly report for the GRRA.

I KNOW there is land available out there to build a new school with adequate acreage and I will be happy to devote my time to research and find some for the people of this community and a place I call home. I urge you to VOTE DOWN this proposal of extension of the option to buy the land in McLeansville and put the money back into the community who supported this bond in the first place. It was our grassroots effort that got it passed, so give our community what we deserve.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Need I say more???

Actually it will be agreat lost to our dear educational institution, so we have an effort tos ustain and a way so we will not be cut almost 10k.
http://www.universityloveconnection.com

As this is now in the public record let me offer this:
I am inquiring as I should as to what made staff recommend land that might not support septic system after all. (keep in mind that a “diligence” period is why a deposit is made in the first place, it allows a prospective buyer a time period to investigate a properties suitability for a project and the study period hinders the sellers ability to sell the property and the buyer will spend time and money doing expensive time consuming testing and research of the property’s ability to support the project in an economical manner.) The deposit is compensation for the seller to take the property from the market place during the months the study is conducted and it “buys” the purchaser insurance that their study expenses are not out the window if the buyer were to sell it to someone else after all the research and testing was performed. Call the $10,000 a type of insurance policy and an appropriate business expense if testing and ground work show reasons of unsuitability.

I do want to know what the details are for our preliminary work and our final conclusions, throwing $10,000 away is what we did if our preliminary homework was not done properly and I believe in accountability. If we did everything properly then it was not thrown away but a prudent and wise precaution. People unfamiliar with the real estate industry and land development will find some things a bit bizarre but there will be an accounting of appropriate decision making.

If this sounds like double speak, I understand and apologize. It is just my not so simple way of trying to educate the public as to how things work. It is neither condemnation nor support for the actions of staff as I have received no “concrete” information in which to evaluate this circumstance, but I will! Though the vote was “closed door” I supported staff’s recommendation to make the $10,000 deposit in the district and taxpayers “best interest” , I stand or fall by my vote and it is now public.

The “all things considered” standard I use for decision making still supports this property on many fronts and I only very skeptically consider the “toss my cards in” and go home option as we need the school and I am dubious that there will be a “better market” to buy land in later. This does not preclude me from this possibility though as all options are available to the taxpayer and spending the taxpayer dollar unwisely is a great reason for someone to replace me. My seat is available in 1 year as are several other seats on the Board. You the taxpayers MUST hold us and all elected officials accountable, I just ask that you study it out and understand the issue first as I am trying to do.
Garth