Tagged: Mecklenburg County

Mecklenburg County Chairman Pat Cotham has taken a lot of heat for the firing of County Manager Harry Jones last week.  So she’s decided to fire back at her nay-sayers by releasing results of a poll she commissioned.   

Cotham’s campaign committee paid Public Policy Polling to ask Mecklenburg residents about the decision to fire Jones.  The results came back in her favor. 

Most of the state’s counties, including Mecklenburg, are no longer included in a bill that would give counties the authority to build, own, and maintain schools.  The bill passed out of a senate committee Wednesday, only giving nine counties the option to take over ownership of schools from local school districts.  Those counties include Rowan, Wake and Harnett.

Senator Ron Rabin of Harnett County said county commissions are more equipped to handle business deals. 

  Mecklenburg County commissioners are now looking for a new county manager after they fired Harry Jones Tuesday night.  One thing is clear in the shake-up: the new manager won’t have as much autonomy. 

County government has had its problems of late.  For starters, there was the botched 2011 property revaluation.

“This is a special situation and so every part of it, in my view, we must do carefully,” said Commissioner Trevor Fuller at a meeting in December.

A bill introduced in the North Carolina senate would allow counties to take ownership of schools.  Some Mecklenburg County commissioners say they would want to own CMS buildings, if that bill passes.  That’s put CMS officials on the defensive.

This is how schools get built in North Carolina:  Since school districts don’t have taxing authority, voters approve bonds for the construction.  The county borrows the money and then passes it on to the school district.