Politics

'Thank you for funding' news release splits School Board

By Bill Moss, Published: June 9, 2016

The Henderson County School Board's public statement of thanks to the Board of Commissioners for fully funding the school system's 2016-17 budget request has triggered objections from two School Board members who say they oppose the tax increase that helped fund the school budget.

Three days after the commissioners raised taxes by 5 cents to support local schools, school construction and other services, the county School Board took the unusual step of publicly saying thanks.

The school administration and School Board "are very appreciative of the recent approval of the 2016-17 County Budget," they said in a news release. "The Board of Education and school staff fully support the Commissioners’ efforts in developing a budget that meets the many needs of our county, our citizens and our schools."

The Hendersonville Lightning published a story on statement of appreciation Thursday evening. Two hours later, board member Josh Houston issued his own statement that objected to the tax increase.

"I was never asked whether or not I supported a county property tax increase like the implied press release below," Houston wrote. "We unanimously supported our county appropriation request but we were never asked about support of a tax increase. ... At this time on record I do not support the property tax increase in Henderson County."

Four hours later, Colby Coren seconded Houston's sentiments.

"While I do not believe it was the intention of this press release to misrepresent the views of the members of the board, it has done just that," Coren wrote. "We as a board have never been presented with the option of supporting or opposing a tax increase."

Houston and Coren thanked school administrators and the Board of Commissioners for their cooperative work on the budget.

The two board members both ran openly as Republican candidates for the nonpartisan School Board and both were elected after the local Republican Party urged voters to cast a single-shot ballot for them — Houston in 2012 and Coren in 2014.

"Our County Commissioners continue to thoughtfully navigate the fiscal and strategic demands of their leadership, and we are so very thankful for their ongoing commitment to public education in our community," the school administration said in the news release. "The Board of Education and school staff support the Commissioners’ 2016-17 budget and value their collective commitment to the citizens of Henderson County."

The Board of Commissioners raised the tax rate from 51.36 to 56.5 cents per $100 valuation in order to fund schools and school construction, other capital projects, a county employee pay raise and other requests. The school system got $1.4 million more, money that will cover the cost of growth and the first phase of a plan to give students digital devices for learning.

“On behalf of the Board of Education, we appreciate the support of our County Commissioners," board Chair Ervin Bazzle said in a statement. "They have a very difficult job, and they are faced with tough choices. We recognize that to provide needed and expanding services for our county, a tax increase is necessary. We thank each of them for their commitment to our schools, and we value the support they provide our school system each and every year.”

“Our school district appreciates the continued support of our County Commissioners,” added Superintendent David Jones. “I want to thank them for providing the necessary resources for our students and staff as we work to provide a quality education to all students under our care.”

Here is Houston's statement:

"As an elected member of the Henderson County Board of Public Education I was never asked whether or not I supported a county property tax increase like the implied press release below.  We unanimously supported our county appropriation request but we were never asked about support of a tax increase.  I understand that at times tax increases are necessary to fund all county department requests.  However, my only concern is the portion of the county budget that applies to the school system.  I do not know the other county department funding requests.  If I had known that our request was to be the cause of a tax increase my decision on our budget could have been different or at the least been a call for a more detailed budget from the school system leading to possible adjustments. I completely respect the County Commissioners on both sides of a split vote and understand the difficulty of their task.  I support our Superintendent and the job he has done to create a great working relationship with the county and wish him the best in his soon to be retirement.  At this time on record I do not support the property tax increase in Henderson County."

Here is Coren's statement:

"I echo the sentiments of my colleague, Mr. Houston. While I do not believe it was the intention of this press release to misrepresent the views of the members of the board, it has done just that. We as a board have never been presented with the option of supporting or opposing a tax increase.

"It is true that our request did increase, as did requests from other departments. It is also a true statement that we appreciate the Commissioners being willing to fund our request fully. I would also like to take this time to thank our CFO, Bernie Sochia, and his team for their hard work preparing this request. However, as has been previously stated, if I had known our request would be the major contributing factor to a tax increase, I would be reevaluating my approval of it.

"Henderson County Schools are growing and rising to the occasion over and over! I look forward to the days ahead. I commend our commissioners, on both sides of the issue, for being transparent in their responses. This open communication leads to real change and understanding.

"I would be remiss if I didn't also thank my other colleagues on the board, Senior Staff, and our Superintendent. The work they are doing is making HCPS a great system.

"While I do not, at this time, endorse or support a tax increase, I do support the work being done in Henderson County and HCPS to create a bright future for our students."