Regarding the county commissioners and school board: I’ve been following their decisions in the Post on several items over the past years and have agreed with most of them. I’ve known some of the commissioners over the years and some of the school board members. I know both boards have a responsibility to use tax money for the best in all actions and decisions they make for us.
Some of the matters over the past two years are important. I know the school system needs a new office and has for 20 years. Several years ago when the mall was for sale, I thought, why not buy it and have lots of space? But that didn’t happen. Then the downtown sites came into the picture. Now the school board has put money in design and who knows what else on it, and the office still hasn’t been built.
I know a lot of people didn’t like the commissioners decision to purchase the mall in 2013, but businesses had moved out and the owner was not keeping it up as he should have done to get business there. With the needs of the county, this can be a good venture for lots of county offices, since the county owns all the mall and land around it.
The city of Salisbury was offering a lot on South Main Street for the school office, but with the contaminated soil and other issues could not get it built there. So now the school board is considering a lot on North Main Street. With all the free land the county owns, why buy more?
Now the land that is at the new West Side Plaza could save the school system money. There’s a big lot beside K&W, a lot beside the Bank on Statesville Boulevard, and then there’s the former Belk & JCPenney spaces. The savings could be used to work on Knox Middle School and to help build the new elementary school in West Rowan.
— Duran Merrell
Salisbury