Rome City Commissioners on Monday approved a supplemental bond resolution and a bond purchase agreement for up to $120 million for the building of a new Rome Middle School.
The 5-4 approval vote included “yes” by Commissioners Bonny Askew, Elaine Beeman, Bill Collins, Mark Cochran and Mayor Sundai Stevenson. Voting “no” were Commissioners Jim Bojo, Jamie Doss, Craig McDaniel, and Randy Quick.
Commissioner McDaniel made a motion to table the vote until the new commission takes over in February.
Wayne Robinson, who just won a seat on the commission, spoke saying, “I think Tuesday speaks volumes of where the votes hit…. They hit with the people who have concerns with this. I think they don’t want to just have an open checkbook for this. I think they spoke very loud and clear that they are against this.”
Rome City voters already approved a $54 million ESPLOST for the school with an additional $116 million from the state. Rome voters will have to vote on an additional ESPLOST when the current one expires in the amount of another estimated $50 million. If that ESPLOST fails, residents of the City of Rome would see an increase to their property taxes.
