BC 1971 09 07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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TO THE CITIZENS OF CABARRUS COUNTY Cabarrus County has needed a new Courthouse for a long time, because the present one does not meet the requirements of county government by any means. On occasions Grand Juries have reported bad conditions and visiting judges have commented on the lack of adequate facilities. Last March the Grand Jury, in its report to Judge Robert A. Collier, Jr., recommended that a new courthouse be built. Judge Collier directed'the Board of County Commissioners to report what concrete action was being taken to carry out the directions of the Grand Jury. The need for a new courthouse is so apparent that the only question is how it can be paid for. Cabarrus County now has about $190,000.00 in a building fund. A large part of this will be needed for demolition of buildings, constructing parking areas, landscaping, and architect's fees. The estimated cost of $1,500,000.00 is for the building only. For the present fiscal year, 1971-72, $557,000.00 in sales tax revenue was appropriated to balance the budget. This revenue was necessary to replace the cash surplus used up last year. Cash surplus dwindled from $564,000.00 to less than $28,000, and without sales tax revenue, the property tax rate would have been increased excessively just to maintain existing services. Ail of the sales tax revenue was budgeted, and there is none to apply this year to the construction of a new courthouse. Based on past experience the cost of county government will continue to increase. In the last eight years the budget has risen from two million to more than five million dollar.s. Revenue from property taxes does not increase that fast without continually raising the tax rate. So, the revenue from sales taxes will be needed to meet rising costs and to meet additional services of county government. To set aside significant amounts for some future construction of the courthouse would only add more and more burdens to the property owner. Mr. E. T. Barnes is the Deputy Secretary of the Local Government Commission, which controls the financial affairs of all county governments in North Carolina. In a recent letter Mr. Barnes stated that: "Capital expenditures which occur once in long periods of time or perhaps once in a lifetime, quite possibly from a theoretical standpoint, fall into the area that should be financed by bonds so that the facility will be paid by those receiving the benefits. Where the need is already present, borrowing will provide the facility before the cost of construction rises further."