Published: May 15, 2008 02:25 am            

SBA money targeted for Marion going elsewhere

Monongalia County among beneficiaries; bond supporters start process of moving on

FAIRMONT — Marion County’s loss is other counties’ gain.

Since school bonds in Marion and Mineral counties weren’t approved by voters Tuesday, the state School Building Authority has some additional money to fund projects that weren’t previously approved.

SBA grants in both Marion and Mineral counties were contingent upon voters passing a bond. Since neither county’s bond passed, the SBA withdraws the grants.

SBA Executive Director Mark Manchin said Wednesday the agency had approved $9 million in funding for Mineral County, with half to be distributed this year and half next fiscal year. Marion County would have received $20.2 million over the next two years.

That leaves the SBA with an additional $14.6 million in funding to dole out this year.

Manchin said projects in six other counties will be funded with that money.

They are: Mason County, $2 million; Webster County, $1.5 million; Hancock County, $3.7 million; Monongalia County, $2.9 million; Jackson County, $1.3 million; and Summers County, $1.5 million.

The SBA will meet sometime soon to formalize the grants, but Manchin made calls to happy superintendents Wednesday morning.

He explained a priority list was created when the grants were approved last month. Projects that didn’t receive immediate funding were placed on the list for funding if any bonds were not approved.

“I hate that someone had to lose for the projects to be granted, but that’s the way it works,” Manchin said.

He explained those six counties are contributing about $12 million collectively to fund their projects in addition to the SBA grants.

“When a county requests a funding amount, if they’re running a bond, they get the highest priority and get funded at the full amount,” Manchin said. “Other children will benefit from this. It’s unfortunate Marion County’s bond didn’t pass.”

On Wednesday, bond supporters were beginning to move on.

Dixie Yann, chairwoman of the bond committee, said she couldn’t think of anything more the committee could have done.

“Our job was to get the information out. That’s what we stressed,” Yann said. “We talked to as many people as we could, shared the benefits of the bond and the reasonable cost. I can’t think of anything else we could have done.”

County board of education member the Rev. James Saunders said he’s disappointed, but he believed a lot of factors went into the vote. Saunders said he believed the rising price of gasoline and property values factored into voters’ decisions at the polls.

“We’ll go back to the drawing board to find out what the public wants,” Saunders said. “They’ve spoken, and we have to respect that, although I’m disappointed for everyone in the school system and the bond committee.”

That disappointment and respect for public opinion was even felt in Charleston.

Farmington native Gov. Joe Manchin traveled to Fairmont to support the bond last week.

On Wednesday, Lara Ramsburg, spokeswoman for Manchin, said the governor is a “big supporter of the process.”

“The people have had their say and while it was close, we must abide by their decision,” Ramsburg said.

E-mail Katie Wilson at kwilson@timeswv.com.

        

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