Right2Vote Group Considers Petition on Jail

As of Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Right2Vote group is making plans to circulate a petition demanding a referendum on the $50 million bond issue to support a detention center-public safety complex in Carthage and to pay for utility improvements in Pinehurst.

John Marcum, organizer and leader, said the petition will be circulated if there is a determination that the initiative has legal authority to require the referendum.

“There’s been a big rush to judgment on this entire issue,” Marcum said Tuesday night at the group’s second town hall-style meeting in the Pinehurst Village Hall.

Marcum reported that he has appealed action by the Local Government Commission executive committee last week and will be granted a hearing before the full commission at the next LGC meeting on Dec. 7.

The decision to appeal was made after Marcum made a lengthy presentation before the LGC committee in Raleigh last week. The commission has authority to deny the county’s action to issue $50 million in limited obligation bonds if it determines that the county cannot support such a bonded indebtedness.  The appeal and the petition are two steps taken by the Right2Vote leadership since the first rally on Thursday night. The Tuesday meeting attracted about 22 supporters, whereas the initial rally had an attendance estimated at 60.

Marcum said he will make sure the petition has legal viability before it is circulated. He said he would hate to go to the trouble of gathering some 7,000 signatures only to find out that the petition would not stand up legally.

The gathering reiterated objections to the building project and reviewed strategy not only for the petition drive but also for the Monday meeting of the Moore County Board of Commissioners. At the Sept. 7 meeting the commissioners agreed to discuss the issue with the public at their next regular meeting. Marcum plans to make a special presentation at that time and others in the group are preparing to participate in the discussion with the commissioners, who are split 3-2 on the subject of a bond referendum.

See the print version of The Pilot for more details.

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None 2 years, 8 months ago

For those who was absent from last evenings town hall meeting, information for public consumption will continue to be clouded by MCBoC. John Marcum’s presentation was astounding. His opening comments should have been, what I’m about to share with you will open your eyes to out of control spending, astound taxpayers, and show the evolution of very poor planning. But the gentleman he is, he stuck to the jaw dropping facts of the eventual cost and tax burden to all Moorecountians for decades to come.

One speaker who worked as economist for a national multibillion dollar company provided attendees with numbers reflecting distinction between the Limited Liability Instruments and General Obligation Instruments. His well prepared presentation gave rise to the fact that most taxpayers are being sheltered from the real costs associated with Detention Center and subliminal M & O costs from the outset of planning. No one in attendance disagreed with the situation our county is in with not enough beds for detainees, but the way it is being moved forward by three commissioners. Moore County Citizens who chose not to attend meetings whether they support or are opposed to spending will eventually have their property impacted by rising tax rates never seen in this county.

Ones thinking it’s just part of county business as usual will be in for a big surprise. The time to address concerns is now and not in the future. It may take a few years to realize the total impact on taxpayers’ wallets, by then we will be in a cesspool of public debt brought on by office holders whose decisions were derived from invulnerably, egos, and poor planning from an architectural firm being paid to increase costs for their own profit margin. The 32 acres known as the Kirby property on Pinehurst Avenue beside the Board of Elections office would have served our purposes very well, at a cost of 12 thousand an acre, as opposed to 1.5 million for virtually unbuildable acreage. One commissioner was totally opposed to any property except the Grimm property. Guess who?

None 2 years, 8 months ago

CORRECTION: "The 32 acres known as the Kirby property" 31 acres is the correct acrage. 17 more useable acres than the Grimm property at 1/3 the cost. Remember ~ 6 acres is unbuildable due to wetlands.

Bflat 2 years, 8 months ago

That tract is 31.44 acres and there's another 16.10 adjacent that is available. The Kirby property fronts on Pinehurst and McNeill Streets.

None 2 years, 8 months ago

Bflat I keep wondering what were they thinking? They meaning Caddell and Picerno. Now we own a piece of land that isn't worth 500 an acre.

plumblevel 2 years, 8 months ago

No one is denying the need for a new sheriff's office or the need for a new jail. However, more important than meeting those needs (inmates can be housed in other facilities for $58 a day until this problem is solved) is first a Master plan that will work for everyone. It is irreponsible and reckless to spend so much money on a Dentention Center when the the Court House is already overcrowded and cannot expand. This means a new courthouse will be built outside of town and the inmates will be transported from downtown Carthage to court somewhere else. Isn't it time to slow down and come up with a better plan?

FaithinUSA 2 years, 8 months ago

Doesn't someone have a master plan for the county 30 - 50 years down the road OR are they just piecemealing it together and HOPING for the best? I'm just saying..

None 2 years, 8 months ago

FaithinUSA => I'm sure the planning an zoning department has thought about planning for the future ~ but that's too far in the future to work on now...wonder why there are so many employees in P&Z? I'm sure they serve a purpose...like the construction manager in planning for construction of county projects.

On another subject, has anyone heard about an "Ethics Workshop" for the commissioners? Too little too late like everything else that goes on in Carthage....

right2vote 2 years, 8 months ago

pertaining to or dealing with the principles of morality....pertaining to or dealing with the right or wrong in conduct....that's what ethical means. sort of like the foot stomping, mean spirited outburst of larry caddell, or the mumbling jimmy melton when asked if they would consider having a public forum on this fiasco of a jail situation. " five years we've been at this it's time for a decision" -that's what commissioner caddell said....no one could hear what melton said. wrong on the five years....we bought that piece of scrap land in 2007. tim lea and cindy morgan have made impassioned pleas for a public forum...have asked the other 3 to sit back and look at the costs and what's really necessary. no one in the "stop the detention center in downtown carthage" group has ever doubted the need for expansion. but, this goes beyond the pale when there is no appearance of PLANNING.. everything has been brought to the public attention in pieces. so, i ask you, moore county residents, does this sound like a formula for jumping in with both feet dragging along a 40 million dollar dead weight to be placed on a 1.5 million dollar scrap heap?

"SLOWLY I TURNED, STEP BY STEP, INCH BY INCH".....look that one up, joe.