Commissioners approve school money for Hamilton County

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – With little discussion, Hamilton county commissioners took care of the final details in fixing up schools, improving the county jail, and saving money on a bond issue.

The commission took care of a lot of unfinished business with two unanimous votes. It passed the measure to issue 195-million dollars in general obligation bonds.

Commissioner Tim Boyd broke it down…

TIM BOYD “Basically, a hundred and twenty-five million is going to build schools, and renovate some schools, then we have, 55 million dollars, is what we’re going to do there is we’re going to pay down our line of credit, which is a variable interest loan, we’re going to pay that down, reissue those 55 million as fixed rate interest, that will save the county, literally tens of thousands of dollars in interest, if not hundreds of thousands over the life of the bond.”

Parents and the school board have been demanding improvements and new buildings.

TIM BOYD “The schools money, is already been identified; you’ve got Apison Middle School, you’ve got the Tyner Middle School High School renovations where they’re going to renovate Tyner High to become a middle-high, and then you’re going to renovate Tyner Middle, to become the new CSLA, CSLA will be moving to Tyner, what is currently Tyner middle after renovations, and then you’ve got Harrison Elementary, is a whole new school.”

The new Howard Track and Stadium, as well as renovations to several other county tracks will all be part of the hundred million dollar package.

TIM BOYD “Balance of the funds are to be used for renovations at the Silverdale Corrections facility that will enhance our moving out of the old county jail downtown. So, it’s all great stuff, it’s all needed.”

The funding for those projects became available after a tax increase late last year. It was based on leaving the millage rate the same after an increase in county property assessments.

Tim Boyd is the only commissioner who voted against the original tax increase proposal.