News

Commissioners boot naming rights request

By Bill Moss, Published: January 11, 2015

TD Bank may yet get its name on the Community Room of the Historic Courthouse but that's not a prospect to bank on.
The Board of Commissioners expressed reservations about the name change, which the bank requested on the grounds that it is the successor bank of Carolina First, which paid $150,000 for naming rights in 2007. The Carolina First donation came as the newly formed Heritage Museum board was trying to raise money to start the museum.
"I was on the board when we started these fundraisers for this building that we're now in," said Commissioner Charlie Messer. "Carolina First took a strong role in our fundraising of this building. Whenever we started construction on this building there was a lot of concern that a lot of money would not be raised."
Then-commissioners Chuck McGrady and Larry Young raised questions about the corporate naming and voted no on the room naming.
On Monday commissioners directed County Attorney Russ Burrell to draft guidelines on naming things like rooms, buildings, seats and ball fields including how to handle the TD Bank request.
"That's not to say we will not or that we will (grant the bank's request) but that we need to look at it some more," Chairman Tommy Thompson said.
TD Bank Vice President Arthur C. "Chip" Morris IV in a letter to the county offered to pay for the new sign and installation.
"Just come back to us and give us a proposal and let us know what you'd like to see for a rebranding," Morris told commissioners Monday night.