County Mayor Weston Wamp on Friday took to Talk Radio to defend the $260 million bond issue that mainly will benefit the county schools.
“Despite the cynics and critics, this is a very exciting time for Hamilton County Schools and Hamilton County,. he said.
He appeared on Talk Radio 102.3 with Jed Mescon and J.R. “Jim” Reynolds.
County Mayor Wamp said, “With the passage of $260 million in bonds, this is an historic moment in investing in our schools from Brainerd to downtown to Soddy Daisy.”
Mayor Wamp told the radio audience it has taken 18 months to design a comprehensive plan that he noted met with the approval of the school board and County Commission, without raising taxes.
He said this investment will go a long way in relieving the facilities crisis in Hamilton County Schools.
County Mayor Wamp responded to County Commissioner David Sharpe who has been critical of the large amount of bonds passed this week by the County Commission. He said the District 6 Commissioner has talked to him at least half a dozen times about raising taxes to fund school needs. County Mayor Wamp said this plan doesn’t raise the property or sales tax a dime.
Commissioner Sharpe sent a text to the program saying, “You clearly misunderstand his position and are not telling the truth.”
County Mayor Wamp said there will be a lot of modernization in school facilities in a responsible way and, while Commissioner Sharpe doesn’t like this plan, he voted for the bond issue. County Mayor Wamp said this emphasis on education doesn’t stand in the way of infrastructure projects.
When asked about a timeline, County Mayor Wamp said, “The gateway (technical) school is funded through this bond issue. The details are being worked out. Lots of corporate partnerships are in the works, and we’re very excited. We believe later this year is when that project and others should go into design; groundbreaking could begin in six to eight months.”
County Mayor Wamp said, “While this is the largest bond issue in Hamilton County history, the county is rated by the rating agencies, triple A, the absolute highest level of fiscal responsibility possible.”