Survey: Bonds for school repairs, parks upgrades have support

Davidson County,N.C., voters overwhelmingly support an education bond package, but have little desire to pay for a new sports complex, a recent survey conducted by Susan K Bulluck of Bulluck & Co. revealed.

The survey included 533 respondents — 500 person-to-person interviews and 33 online, self-select interviews. The results have a 4.3% margin of error at the 95th percentile, which means 95 out of 100 times, the differential in responses would not be greater than 4% in either direction.

The surveys, which were conducted between March 5 and March 10, intended to determine how the public feels about certain projects, which may help predict the success of them passing on the ballot in November.

Election-Vote-Ballot

When asked about a $28 million bond package to repair roofs, heat and air for schools, 77% said they'd vote for it, 14.6% said they'd vote against and 8.4% said they were not sure. In regard to a $5.5 million bond package for sewer expansion to help Davidson County Community College's future link campus and Davis-Townsend Elementary, 56.2% said they'd vote for it, 29.2% said they'd vote against and 14.6 said they weren't sure.

The survey also asked respondents how they felt about a $33.5 million bond that combined school infrastructure and school sewer projects. The results show 68.2% would vote for it, 20% would vote against and 11.8% were not sure.

Voters were not in favor of the sports complex. When asked about the $40 million bond package for a sports complex, 58.2% were against, 27.8% were in favor and 14% were not sure. When asked if the sports complex were packaged with an agricultural center at $45.2 million, 55.2% were against, 28.4% were in favor and 16.4% were not sure.

A $5.2 million bond for just the agricultural center received 44% in favor and 39% against. A $7.9 million bond for Davidson County Parks and Recreation capital improvements received 49.6% in favor with 33.8% against.

A Hughes Park multi-purpose auditorium and sports center valued at $3 million received 56.6% in favor and 32% against. The Hughes Park bond and the parks and recreation capital needs bond packaged together at $11 million received 50.2% in favor and 38.4% against.

Bulluck said the school facility needs, parks and recreation components, sewer infrastructure projects and agricultural center have sufficient support to expect ballot approval. The average support of those projects is 56 percent, according to Bulluck.

She recommended that everything but the sports complex should be combined in a single bond package for the November ballot. A bond package of all those projects, without the sports complex, would be approximately $50 million.

As the next step, Bulluck said the commissioners should appoint a chairman and vice chairman to form a community education committee to engage residents in the ballot determination process.

According to Bulluck's report, the sports complex does not have sufficient support or understanding to go on the ballot. She noted that it could be put in a separate bond package on the ballot, but with the current level of misunderstanding, a sports complex bond package on the November ballot could jeopardize future support. Bulluck said in the report that many would use the sports complex, but most who use it would go out of county for hospitality services.

County Manager Zeb Hanner said the commissioners must decide by August which bond packages they want on the November ballot.

Tribune Content Agency
Infrastructure North Carolina
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