Reject Charlotte-Mecklenburg school bond referendum

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools face a dilemma: Infrastructure at some of its oldest campuses is deteriorating after years of use while the cost of construction is going through the roof.

The answer is obvious: make upgrades. But the price tag of the Nov. 7 bond referendum – $2.5 billion – is astronomic. We’ll also add the ask is overly ambitious considering that taxpayers would be on the hook for projects that many Mecklenburg County residents will struggle to pay for.

The county is asking the citizens of to approve the largest infrastructure bond package in North Carolina history to build new schools and renovate others. This package will add .03 cent to the current tax rate starting in 2029 and ending in 2049. For a $100,000 property, the tax bill will increase by $30. With the recent 100%-300% revaluation property tax increase, the county is making it difficult for people with modest incomes to live here. The burden will become especially heavy for people in the so-called “crescent” of lower-income, working-class communities already contending with the onslaught of gentrification.

With enrollment declining in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, $2.5 billion is a very tall order to ask county residents to foot. We believe the county could, or more importantly, should come up with other options to get this work done. We totally get that students deserve infrastructure that will give them the best opportunity to succeed academically. We also know that CMS needs to do a better job of putting students in better position to achieve by investing in teachers and teacher support to make it happen.

We encourage voters to send a message to the school district by rejecting the referendum in favor of a scaled-down program that addresses the most pressing campus needs without hamstringing taxpayers. By looking at education as a true investment in students instead of buildings, Mecklenburg’s political leadership must be challenged to better balance that mandate to the benefit of all. As voters, it’s incumbent upon us to put them on that track.

By voting “no” to the package, they will have to.

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