At their November 7 meeting, Northampton County Council voted 5-4 to reject a $63.5 million bond for a new parking deck and 3-story office building at the courthouse campus, as well as a $14 million contingency for other projects that include a new roof at the jail and P-25 radio equipment, costing $6 million. Council President Lori Vargo Heffner and Council member Jeff Corpora both said they had no problem with building a new parking garage but suggested a brief delay to review details on options about building the garage but delaying the county office building. Council member Jeff Warren insisted on a vote then and there, and the bond was killed by Council members Vargo Heffner, Corpora, John Goffredo, John Brown and Tom Giovanni. Instead of getting a badly needed parking garage, the county got nothing.
At last night's meeting of NorCo Council, Executive Lamont McClure stated that after discussions with Corpora, he has begun the process of introducing a bond that "is something short of what we originally proposed." He said the new bond would include the demolition and replacement of the parking deck at the courthouse complex, with the ability to add a county office building in the future, It would also include funding for the P25 radio system.
This pretty much addresses the concerns Council had.
I attempted to watch the meeting but the reception was very poor. The commissioners don't talk into their microphones and it is difficult to hear them. From what I was able to gather, The Commissioners pretty much got what they wanted although some of their decision making left a little to be desired. Resolution after resolution changing salaries of well connected employees with no consideration on how or why the positions warranted the promotions and wage increases. They should have voted for the wage study and funded a personnel classification study. Then and only then should they approve wage increases. What do you compare them too? No justification. I'm here 22 years and still haven't reached the top of my wage scale.
ReplyDeleteI will believe it when I see it. McClure is an autocrat and does not believe in compromise or collaboration. He is about winning at any cost. So, if he follows through it will be a surprise.
ReplyDeleteJust the parking deck and radios? I expect McClure to politicize the issue by adding something else to the proposal.
ReplyDeleteHe really doesn’t care about the parking deck or the radios. He wants a campaign issue more.
council will screw it up
ReplyDeletePutting P25 Radios into a bond is not a good idea. The 20 years pay back for this is crazy. The technology will change a few times in that period. Technology changes every minute, every hour and every day.
ReplyDeleteOf course it is. But since McClure has run NorCo's ship into the ground, how else is he supposed to pay for it. It's the municipal equivalent of putting groceries on your credit card.
DeleteWas it a closed head injury ? While this is a first rate political argument, it is exactly wrong when it comes to municipal financial management.
Delete12:10 makes a good point. I am not sure it is wise to borrow for a $6 million project, but there are several projects identified. 1:17 is way off. The county has gone seven years without a tax hike under McClure, and in one of those years, there was a tax cut. Like it or not, he has been a good fiscal steward.
ReplyDeleteIf he’s been “a good fiscal steward”, why isn’t he paying for the radios out of current receipts?
DeleteYou can’t have it both ways.
He also started with healthy fund balances and got huge checks for "Covid Relief" along the way.
Delete6:24, He could pay for the radio out of current receipts, but capital projects are more appropriately financed. Since the county MUST build a new parking deck and wants to refinance existing bonds at a lower rate, it makes sense to combine several projects into one so long as the right interest rate is there.
DeleteThis compromise has been there for months. Warren screwed the pooch with his stupid designed to lose strategy. Breaking this out would be smart. Get it done.
ReplyDelete