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<br />County bo vin easy approval
<br />Despite opposition from northern Bonds that will provide $47 mil- essary funds through bonds in won 10,864 to 8,940, or 55 percent
<br />lion n financing for new schools order to build schools that we to 45 percent.
<br />Orange, voters approve funding won by an 11,818 to 8,030 margin, know we need," Didow said. Jacobs said the commissioners remain comin
<br />for schools, parks, senior centers, or 60 percent of the vote in unoffi "This is very good news for m- tously on issuing the bonds. Dur-
<br />housing. cial returns. Turnout was 26 per- b entary number nine and se o ing the campaign, bond propo-
<br />cent of active registered voters in ber v 10 and for the next phase of nents said they would slow the
<br />By KIRK Ross the county. renovation projects." use of the bonds rather than
<br />Staff Writer Nick Didow, Chapel Hill-Car- County Commissioner Barry lunge ahead in a shaky econo-
<br />CHAPEL HILL — Orange rboro school board chair, said he Jacobs, who helped direct the my
<br />County's four bond questions was pleased at the turnout and county's bond strategy, said he "The commissioners are going
<br />received a resounding yes Tues- that financing for the district's was also pleased to see the vote to move forward in a fiscally
<br />The parks bond, which responsible way," Jacobs said.
<br />day as voters approved new next two elementary schools has tallies come n so high. A strong vote for the bonds n
<br />financing for schools, parks, been assured by the vote.
<br />is the
<br />senior centers and affordable years for usto be obtaining nec� See BONDS, Page A6
<br />uperfund championed by Jacobs
<br />housing.
<br />Bonds
<br />continued from page Al
<br />the southern part of the county
<br />overcame opposition in northern
<br />Orange, fueled by an anti -bond
<br />campaign that warned of tax
<br />increases. For example, the
<br />school bonds passed 435 to 293 in
<br />the Estes Hills precinct in Chapel
<br />Hill but failed 201 to 416 at the
<br />Grady Brown precinct in Hills-
<br />borough.
<br />Kathy Hartkopf, spokesperson
<br />for Citizens for a Better Way, a
<br />Hillsborough -based group that
<br />opposed the bonds, said she was
<br />disappointed, but thought the
<br />effort proved that not everyone
<br />was happy with the way the coun-
<br />ty was being run.
<br />"If 5oo votes would have gone
<br />differently, we would have seen
<br />three 'of'the bonds 'do dowH to
<br />defeat," she said.
<br />Hartkopf said Citizens for a
<br />Better Way would remain active
<br />as a group and "prepare for the
<br />next battle."
<br />The split between northern and
<br />southern Orange precincts
<br />showed, she said, "that there is
<br />real concern in northern
<br />Orange,"
<br />Two of the happier bond sup-
<br />porters Tuesday night were
<br />Robert Seymour and Robert
<br />Dowling.
<br />Seymour, who campaigned for
<br />the $4 million senior center bond,
<br />said he had waited a long time for
<br />the victory. The bond referendum
<br />passed 10,702 to 9,037, or 54 per-
<br />cent to 46 percent.
<br />A senior center bond in 1997
<br />went down to defeat.
<br />"I'm very pleased," he said.
<br />"It's something that should have
<br />come sooner."
<br />Dowling, director of Orange
<br />Community Housing Corp., said
<br />that the $4 million affordable
<br />housing bond would quickly be
<br />put to use. He said the Chapel Hill
<br />Town Council's recent heavy
<br />focus on affordable housing
<br />helped the bond, which was
<br />approved 10,383 to 9,339, or 53 per-
<br />cent to 47 percent.
<br />"The Town Council with their
<br />emphasis„ on, affordable ordable housing
<br />has really helped awareness," he
<br />said.
<br />County officials estimate that
<br />the total $75 million package,
<br />which is expected to be phased n
<br />over three to five years, would
<br />add roughly 7.5 cents to the tax
<br />rate — an additional $150 per year
<br />for a $200,000 home.
<br />Nearly two- thirds of this year's
<br />bond referendum — $47 million
<br />— will go to the county's two
<br />school systems.
<br />Orange County Schools will
<br />A6 is The Chapel Hill News
<br />receive a total of $19.4 million -
<br />41 percent — of the total for
<br />schools and Chapel Hill - Carrboro
<br />schools will get,$27.4 million. The
<br />two big- ticket items are a new
<br />middle school for Orange County
<br />at $18,5 million and two elemen-
<br />tary schools at $12.8 million each.
<br />The remaining money for schools
<br />will go toward renovations at
<br />older schools.
<br />Park projects earmarked in tho
<br />bond are;
<br />to Homestead Road Aquatics
<br />Center — $3.5 million.
<br />9P Chapel Hill and Carrhoro
<br />Greenways -- $1.75.
<br />0. Lands Legacy — $7 million.
<br />m Smith Middle School Nark --
<br />$250,000.
<br />m Soccer Superfund — $2 mil-
<br />lion.
<br />a Southern Village Park — $2
<br />million.
<br />a Cedar Grove Park - -- $1,2 mil-
<br />lion.
<br />to Old 86 and Eubanks Road
<br />Park — $1.2 million.
<br />m Efland Cheeks Park - --
<br />$250,000.
<br />a Fairview Park — $850,000.
<br />Jonnelle Davis contributed to this
<br />report..
<br />Kirk Ross can be reached
<br />at 932 -2005 or kross(nnando.com
<br />
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