If you’re new here. The “TAD” being discussed is due to Stockbridge Redevelopment & Tax Allocation District plan. I wrote about the effects of the TAD on residents here on the blog. Here’s the link to the May 12 Henry BOE Study Session. Below I’ve posted the Board Member’s comments and transcript of same.
Thank you, Mrs. Clay. Does any board member have any discussion on this item?
Dr. Nutt?
Well, this to me does not seem like it would be in the school’s best interest.
And the reason I say this is we don’t have any schools in Henry County that are not under enrollment.
But if you ride around, you see trailers and people just packed in.
I can only imagine if we renewed, and I’m all for our cities and our counties being renewed and revitalized.
But I don’t think that’s the school system, just like building roads.
I think we need some new roads, but it’s not the school’s place.
Build these roads and do the revitalization.
That’s the county’s, I would believe, would be the county’s job.
If we’re looking at reviewing this, I don’t even want to review this for the same reason of working with other entities.
You’re not talking just the school board now.
You’re talking about the commissioners and whoever would be part of this.
I wouldn’t want anybody else messing with our money, being fiscally sound.
I know what we do.
We do what we’re supposed to do with the money.
I’m just not sure about other entities.
And it just seems like the school system’s getting the short end of the stick here.
There’s not a…
Again, we put our money to good use.
We use it for our schools, to build new schools, to refurbish our own schools.
Maybe we need a tad to redo some of our schools that we would like to add on or redo.
But I just, APS is laying people off.
So how would that, just throwing that out there.
I don’t look at who’s doing it.
I just know, as my mama used to say, you don’t have to be a part of it.
If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.
And just for clarification, the report that I’m providing today would not commit the board.
What the recommendation for this particular, well, and the next item will be that the board should have a policy.
All of our benchmark systems have a policy and a process.
And that would be the first action that’s recommended of a board for any consideration,
whether the choice is to consent or not.
So today it’s just about process, information and process is where we are today.
Thank you, Dr. Nutt.
Mr. McDaniel.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
And thank you, Ms. Clay, for bringing this forward.
I know you all have done great work in trying to bring this to us.
And I’m trying to actually find one part that you said, and all of a sudden it just escapes me.
But I will ask this question.
I know we’re talking about stock bridge because it’s something that’s brought up.
But the question I have is, could the TAB move forward, even without the Board of Education approving it?
Could the TAB still move forward because the Board of Commissioners have approved it?
Am I correct on that?
Yes, sir.
And in my benchmark models, I’ve seen where school systems have chosen at a later date to participate.
It really is the Board’s decision based on their evaluation at a point in time, going back to this policy recommendation that’s forthcoming,
would be to establish the parameters under which a Board would consider that.
Okay, and then, and I think you may have said this, but I was so busy trying to make sure I found one thing I may not have heard you say.
But when you talk about the pilot, the payment in lieu of taxes, that is pretty much up front right now and then incrementally over the life of the TAB.
But I think one of the things that, for me, and I know that we’re looking at it through the benchmark and through policy,
one of the concerns that I have is, and I think you actually highlighted it, is one, the longevity of the TAB, how long it can be.
Some of them, I think, when you’re looking at them, some will be 20, 25, 30 years, and many of us will be going from Henry County Board of Education.
And then you’re looking at the hope of the developer coming in and actually doing what the developer said they would do,
not looking at economic impact, so looking at physical impact that might cause the developer to cease or to narrow down the scope of the project.
And so pretty much we are betting on or we’re hoping, and I think that that’s a very vicarious situation to put the Board of Education is,
is to hope that you do what you say you’re going to do.
And so I, you know, I hope as we go forward with this that we make sure that we have those things in place,
that if it falters, what is our plan A, plan B, if plan A doesn’t work?
You talk about the schools.
In this particular case, we’re looking at Stockbridge Elementary, being the school that’s nearby,
or maybe Stockbridge High, Stockbridge Middle.
So I think that all those things through policy, making sure that we have those stringent safeguards to protect us,
I hope that is what we get from out of the policy.
But thank you and your team for the foundational work on it,
and I just, I look forward to seeing what we have come forward from out of this.
And you mentioned too, so what, we haven’t gotten the other TAD proposal yet, am I correct?
We have not received any direct inquiry to the superintendent, Dr. Pace.
Okay, thank you.
Correct.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McDaniel.
Ms. Edwards?
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Just a couple of questions.
And I’m going to start off by saying I agree with Mr. Board Member McKenzie regarding policies to make sure our interest is protected.
And this is a lot of information.
But I’m glad to see that the policy is going to be provided to us at a later time.
I’m just concerned about that long-term commitment financially.
You know, we have a school, we have 51 schools.
We have to make sure that we have a sound budget for these schools to educate these children.
And we are supposed to educate.
TAD is good, I guess.
I don’t know.
I’ve heard of TAD, but the long-term commitment scares me because we’re going to be gone.
And I’m sure you’ve read some of the TADs fell through.
You know, they just stopped or whatever.
We don’t want to be caught up in that because we won’t be here to make sure to see what’s going on.
And the other one, the other thing I wanted to ask was TADs generally can move forward.
I think I heard you say about the sale of bonds, their bonds, the city of Stockbridge bonds.
Am I right?
Yes, ma’am, through the TAD.
The TAD is given the authority to be an agency that can issue bonds.
And the tax increment then is oftentimes pledged to be the repayment stream for those bonds.
So if this is the case, then why would they ask for the Board of Education to be a part of TAD or the commissioners to be a part of TAD?
If you have the bonds in place to sell, move forward with your bonds.
It’s to increase the financing capacity of those bonds.
So let’s say as a city, they can get X amount.
But if the city and county and a Board of Education and whoever’s within the bounds agrees to participate,
then there’s the option to get a greater amount financed.
Okay, well, I’ll wait until I see the proposal.
Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Edwards.
And I just want to say thank you so much for bringing this information to us and to the community.
I know that this is after a long conversation with this Board and our team around these policies,
and we had the opportunity, as we reported after our whole Board training,
to look ourselves at some of these policies.
So I’m just really grateful.
Well, this is how boards govern, is through policy.
So I’m glad that we’re starting there because that’s the only responsible thing to do.
And I know that this conversation is not specific to any entity.
So I’m just grateful that we are starting with a policy so that we’re consistent in our practice moving forward,
and we do have those guardrails in place.
So I’m looking forward to the next informational item after this.
And if there is no further discussion, Dr. Pace, we will move on.
In the same time period Stockbridge District 2 councilwoman Barber received censure from Stockbridge City Council. The Henry Herald suddenly publishes Henry School board’s dissent of Tax Allocation Districts at large (16 days after the meeting). I find the timing of all these actions and stories very convenient.
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