Crump: City won’t try again
By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County voters soundly rejected the proposed quarter-cent sales tax, funds from which officials from the city of Rockingham and Richmond County planned to use to construct a destination sports complex.
Whether it was an issue of a confusing ballot — the referendum language failed to mention anything about a sports complex — or a lack of connection for voters between the “Vote Yes” campaign signs posted throughout the county and the sales tax referendum is unknown. But nearly three out of every four county voters — 8,661, or 70.4 percent for to 3,638 against — said no thanks.
Commissioner Ben Moss, who voted on July 7 to put the issue to voters, said they have spoken. Moss was the second-highest vote-getter of six commissioner candidates Tuesday night, earning a second four-year term in office.
Should the county try again?
“In my opinion, the voters have spoken,” said Moss, 34. “I want to follow the will of the voter.”
Ledbetter resident Herbie Long, who earned one of four available seats to the county commission, said he is in general support of parks and recreation for county youth but was against the sales tax increase as proposed and presented to the public.
Long said he felt the town of Ellerbe and the city of Hamlet should have been brought to the table sooner to discuss the needs of those respective areas. They weren’t, and all indicators pointed towards deep dissatisfaction form those areas towards the city-managed project located off Old Aberdeen Road in Rockingham city limits.
Long said officials should consider bringing the referendum to voters in 2016.
“We’ll just have to see,” Long said. “I hope they do.”
Rockingham City Manager Monty Crump, however, said that’s unlikely. He said the city’s Plan B with the 108-acre site is to construct a significantly reduced version of the sports complex, projected to cost between $12 million and $15 million.