A $2.2 Million Hot Potato Surfaces – County Board Members Ask Schools For Check, Or Else
Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 21, 2012
By Mike Barnhardt
Enterprise Record
A $2.2 million hot potato got even hotter Monday evening, when employees and supporters of Davie County Schools swarmed the monthly county commissioner meeting.
The controversy centered on what school officials considered a demand from Commission Chair Carl Humphrey and Vice Chair Robert Wisecarver that the schools write the county a check for $2.2 million from its reserves, or have $2.2 million deducted from operation funds it receives from the county.
Dr. Darrin Hartness, superintendent, then sent a mass “School Matters” email, urging people to attend this meeting and voice their concerns. He also urged them to attend the county’s budget public hearing, set for Thursday, June 14 in the district courtroom of the Davie County Courthouse.
County Manager Beth Dirks presented the proposed budget Monday, and it includes the full amount requested by the schools. The board is scheduled to vote on that budget after the June 14 public hearing.
Fourteen residents voiced their concerns.
Kendall Chaffin of Advance got it started, questioning whether Wisecarver, and board member Mark Jones, should be voting on school funding when their children are home schooled. “We want ya’ll to do the right thing,” he said …