Good morning,
As everyone is aware, the November 6th election ballot will include 2 significant bond referendums for residents to vote on: the $54 million bond for Moore County Schools, and the $15.5 million for Sandhills Community College.
The Partners in Progress Board of Directors has taken a position and issued 2 Resolutions of Support, one for each bond referendum, because these educational needs directly impact Moore County’s ability to achieve successful, positive economic development.
Partners in Progress is the economic development organization serving all of Moore County. Our mission, quite simply, is to generate new, quality jobs to increase residents’ personal income and capital investment to increase the County’s tax base. These jobs and investment, in turn, increase the community’s economic prosperity and our standard of living.
Economic development is a community effort, achieved through the teamwork of public and private sectors. Our schools, both the County public school system and SCC, are crucial partners in successful economic development. Quality education is paramount to attracting new business and industry to Moore County, as well as retaining and growing existing business and industry.
Through our recruitment efforts, Partners in Progress targets specific industry sectors that provide well-paying jobs and that complement the quality of life we enjoy in Moore County. The nature of these businesses requires a location offering high-quality education. Company owners and management look for high-performing schools where they can send their own children. These companies need educated employees, and they evaluate a community’s workforce potential based on access to local educational opportunities. These companies also need access to educational facilities that can accommodate current and future employee training needs.
It’s also important to remember that many other communities across the country also want to recruit these same industries, and are proactively taking steps to improve educational offerings. Moore County must stay competitive.
How will our schools compare if facilities are outdated and overcrowded? Accordingly, how can Moore County be competitive if our schools are inadequate? Voting “Yes” for both bonds is an investment in Moore County’s workforce, economy, and standard of living.
Also on the November 6th ballot will be the advisory referendum for the proposed .4% Land Transfer Tax. The funding provided by this tax, if imposed, has been specifically earmarked to pay for the public schools’ and SCC’s capital needs. Without this fee, every property owner will see an increase in their property tax of probably $.05. With it, the increase will only be $.01-$.02. Our traditionally-low property tax rate is a critical issue to relocating and expanding businesses and enhances our economic development efforts.
The Partners in Progress Board has also issued a Resolution of Support for the Land Transfer Tax as a funding measure for the $69.5 million educational bonds. Let’s keep our property taxes down and vote “For” this transfer fee.
We hope that when you go to vote on November 6th, you will vote “YES” for both the School Bond Referendum and the Community College Bond Referendum, and “FOR” the Levy of Land Transfer Tax.
Sincerely,
Ray Ogden
Executive Director
Sent by:
Melanie Thompson
Moore County Partners in Progress
phone: 910-246-0311
fax: 910-246-0312
email: econdev@moorebusiness.org
www.moorebusiness.org
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