Editorial: A number's on the table

The Rowan County Board of Commissioners took a big step toward a new central office for the schools on Wednesday. But all that’s certain is how much the school system is authorized to spend on the headquarters in sales tax proceeds: $6 million.

There’s an obvious conflict of interest for Post editorial writers on this topic: one of the sites under consideration is Main Street property offered for sale by Post Publishing Co.

So we won’t be weighing in on what the school system should do next. But, having supported the school system’s quest for a central office all along, we offer these observations from Wednesday’s meeting:

• School officials were disappointed that commissioners did not approve what has come to be known as “the Barwick proposal” — the new building proposed for construction on South Main Street through a lease-purchase agreement with Barwick Associates of Charlotte. But at least commissioners did not slam the door in their faces. Authorization to spend $6 million on a headquarters is much more than commissioners have ever been inclined to spend on a central office to date.

• Even so, two commissioners rejected the $6 million motion, Carl Ford and Jim Sides. Everyone is ready to get this issue behind the county and move on. That includes Ford and Sides, but they were not willing to give the school board such latitude.

• The 40 or so people in attendance were a reflection of who thinks this issue is important. They included representatives from the schools, Downtown Salisbury Inc., the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, city hall, RowanWorks, the Salisbury Post and more. Pastor Bill Godair, who recently withdrew Cornerstone Church’s property from consideration, was there. Others present included former Commissioner Tina Hall, F&M Bank patriarch Paul Fisher, downtown business owners such as Pam Hylton Coffield and Alan King, as well as a number of other interested citizens. And David Whisenant of WBTV covered the meeting.

• Commissioner Jon Barber dominated the early discussion by asking school official Gene Miller lots of questions. And he was obviously prepared for the Barwick proposal to go down in defeat, because he quickly made the $6 million motion.

• Later in the meeting, Commissioner Sides spoke at length. He even quoted a Post editorial that said, “He who has the gold rules.” Hence Sides’ interest in inspecting every aspect of the school proposal.

He who has the gold does rule. But at some point rulers outline their parameters and let others work out the details. Otherwise they would spend all their lives chasing pennies in eternal frustration. Commissioners outlined their parameters Thursday. Let’s hope they now move on to other important issues that will move Rowan forward.