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August 16, 2010

Blue Ribbon Committee talks bond election

Nathan Straus Jacksonville Daily Progress

JACKSONVILLE — A potential Jacksonville Independent School District bond election was the point of focus for Jacksonville’s Blue Ribbon Committee, a group of local residents led by Dr. Peter Tarlow committed to finding a direction for Jacksonville. Though the first 15 minutes or so of the Monday meeting was a continuation on a prior meeting’s discussion of the arts, the conversation soon steered into educational territory.

Members of the JISD Board of Trustees will vote Tuesday evening on whether or not to call a bond election, which would mean more resources for the school and increased property taxes and, potentially, property values for its district citizens and voters.

“I think it’s really essential for Jacksonville to show itself it needs to pass a bond issue,” Tarlow said.

Lon Morris College President Dr. Miles McCall said a goal of passing any eventual bond election will be finding a way to endear it to the voting public.

“This town will not be able to grow unless this is put into place,” McCall said. He offered a simple solution to attract more votes and said, “We need to get across that if you do this, you get a Red Lobster (restaurant) in town.”

Jacksonville Economic Development Corporation President Darrell Prcin  said a challenge will be to educate the voting public on the facts.

“If they know the facts, they’ll go out and vote for it,” Prcin said.

Tarlow suggested the committee find a simple and effective phrase with which to energize voters and motivate them toward voting for a bond issue. Most of the attending committee members agreed on an iteration of the phrase “We can’t afford to lose,” to represent the possible state and federal funding the school would have no access to should a bond election not be called and subsequently approved by voters.

JISD Superintendent Dr. Joe Wardell was present at the meeting and said school officials realize JISD is in a community with many fixed incomes.

“If you’re 65 or older (your property tax) will not change. Your taxes are frozen,” Wardell said. “The only way to do any significant construction of any kind is through bond issues. It is worth it.”

In addition to the bond election discussion, committee members noted it would be beneficial to have Jacksonville city leaders present at such meetings in order to add more viewpoints to the meeting and to create a larger base.

The meeting was adjourned just before 7 p.m. Committee members generally meet once each month, though they did not meet in June or July.

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