The future of projects at Charles E. Perry Elementary School and Sampson Community College may be dimming even more with four out of five county commissioners saying that they may not be in the cards, if funding such translates into a tax increase.

In an interview, interim county manager Rick Moorefield affirmed that a tax increase would be a reality if the board moves forward with the two building projects, one a new elementary school, the other at Child Development Center on the SCC campus.

“Yes, to build both facilities would require a tax increase,” said Moorefield. In fact, he said if the board decided to build just one facility, it would still lead to a tax hike.

Commissioner John Blanton said he cannot foresee how the project can move forward at this point, but he pointed out that there are too many unknowns for a definite answer at this point.

“Too many things are not in order, and we got no money,” Blanton pointed out.

He admitted that if he had to make a decision now, it would be to stick with the board’s current plan for no tax increase.

“I wouldn’t move forward if it means a tax increase, unless there is some source of money ...Why put us in a deeper hole?” Blanton questioned.

But admittedly, he knows residents of his district, where Perry is located, won’t be happy. “They will feel terrible. They will be upset, but you must look at the total picture. We have no new revenue coming in.”

Commissioner Jefferson Strickland, who also represents a portion of the Roseboro area, agrees that if the building of both facilities means a tax increase, then he is not for continuing the projects as the country slides further into a recession.

“It is not the time for a tax increase ... We don’t know how long or deep this recession will be,” Strickland emphasized.

But he is hoping that President Barack Obama’s stimulus package will extend an olive branch of hope to the funding of these projects, particularly the elementary school.

“Charles E. Perry is the number one priority,” Strickland commented.

He said he also knows that in order for the county to be prepared for the stimulus funds, it will require the design phase of Charles E. Perry to continue.

“The project must be 'shovel ready',” established Strickland. Thus, he feels that completing the design phase for the school is necessary if the county is to be prepared for any potential stimulus money.

Chairman Jarvis McLamb remarked that he does not think the county has seen the end of the current economic downtown, and for that reason, he does not think it is in the county’s best interest to continue with the building of Charles E. Perry or the Child Development Center.

“I think we should stop the projects right now if it means a tax increase,” said McLamb.

And while McLamb understands that Lakewood district residents won’t be pleased with that decision, he’s quick to point out that they shouldn’t place the blame on commissioners’ shoulders.

He pointed out that the Sampson County Board of Education was the group that decided to build Union and Midway High schools ahead of the elementary school, even though a study concluded that Perry should be built first. McLamb believes that it should have been built first.

Commissioner Malachi Faison agrees with his colleagues that if the building of both facilities equals a tax increase, then it is not something that he would go along with.

“My decision is based on the economy. I do not have the slightest idea how (the economy) will go, but we are not going to support building a school at this current time. I just don’t see how we can build it,” said Faison.

He, too, feels that there will be hard feelings among residents of the Lakewood community, “but we have to do what is fiscally best for the county.”

The county’s newest commissioner, Billy Lockamy, feels that if the board promised to build Charles E. Perry, it needs to fulfill that promise, even if it translates into a tax increase.

“We promised that school, and we will try our best to build that school,” Lockamy said.

But, he feels that if the project calls for too large a tax increase, then he, too ,would concede that the project may not be feasible at this time.

“If it is one cent (per $100 valuation), then I don’t think there will be a problem, but if it is three cents, it will definitely be a problem,” said Lockamy.

He, like Strickland, is also hoping that the stimulus plan will provide that extra funding needed to make both buildings a reality for Sampson residents.

Katie Holland can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 136, or by email at silife@myclintonnc.com.