Assuming the bond referendum passes in November, big projects are on the horizon for Orange County.
County manager Bonnie Hammersly told the commissioners in their meeting Tuesday that the county is anticipating spending $47.6 million on school improvements in the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
“Forty million of that is the bond,” she said. “The 7.6 million is consistent with prior year funding for schools through the capital improvement plan.”
If approved, the bond referendum would give the county the ability to issue up to $120 million for Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools to start necessary health and safety upgrades.
According to a timeline Hammersly provided, the county is planning on issuing the bond in three parts.
Forty million dollars will be issued next fiscal year, another will be issued in 2018-2019 and the final $40 million will be issued in 2020-2021.
But the schools are far from the only major expense the county will be taking on next year because it is anticipated to spend over $12 million on the Southern Branch Library and the Historic Rogers Road Sewer Project.
“Southern Branch Library, this is something that has been in the capital investment plan for a couple of years,” Hammersly said. “Right now the status of this project is the Town of Carrboro is currently doing a space study and a transportation study.”
Carrboro is currently exploring whether to allow the county to build a public library on South Greensboro Street.
No timeline has been set, but Hammersly said they should have a better idea of what will happen in June when the commissioners approve the budget.
She said she anticipates the library will cost around $6.38 million. The next major project the commissioners discussed was the Historic Rogers Road Sewer Project.
“As we move forward on this, it is running on schedule,” Hammersly said. “Construction should begin in early 2017.”
The project is expected to cost around $5.68 million, which will be offset by contributions from the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
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