From: Bert Bowe
Sent: Thu, May 23, 2013 1:42:25 PM
Subject: Crucial Board of Education election issue
Crucial Board of Education election issue
The Chatham Commissioner Republican majority has made a last-minute and surprise request of state Representative Deb McManus to amend a bill they recommended for a November ballot to elect a Chatham school board member for Representative McManus’s empty seat.
They now want the bill to allow the commissioners to name a replacement (from two candidates). As I understand it, the reason was, since a bond issue has been withdrawn from that ballot, they deem the $50,000 voting cost to be excessive.
Since these commissioners did not discuss this sudden change with the Board of Education or Board of Election to determine if expenses could be reduced, let’s use the $50K figure – but put it into perspective: it is 0.09% of the projected $57.7 million in tax revenue, or a one-time cost of 76 cents per person (using the 2012 census of 65,976 Chatham residents).
Given the tremendous importance of selecting the best person for this school board seat, 76 cents seems a small price to pay to let Chatham citizens make the choice rather than five commissioners. This bill should proceed as proposed – without any amendment.
Bert Bowe
Pittsboro