DEADLINE TOMORROW FOR NEW PICKERING PROPOSAL

City on Fast Track for Pickering School Study:Project Design and Feasibility Proposals Due Feb. 24

February 18, 2016

Who could disagree with the need? The building is old and bursting at the seams. In fact I told you it should have been built before MARSHALL, I thought because I perceived it to be in worse shape structurally. Now I am about as close to being an engineer a I am a lawyer but I do argue pretty good sometimes and I did build a cabin or fort or two growing up back in good ole W. V. and A.

Some people agreed with me on the building priority and not all of them were from WARD 1. The prevailing argument was that if PICKERING were built first that a BOND for MARSHALL would never pass. Especially when the 80% reimbursement rate was actually closer to 60% when you factored in acceptable expenses. So the best case scenario for an 80% rate for the $130 M new PICKERING would probably leave LYNN on the hook for about $52 M. Of course we'd have to bond the whole 130 million first.

Having to bond the total upfront was something everyone seemed to be avoiding the answer when I was pushing them back at MARSHALL'S beginning. The new bonding reimbursement schedule was so new that everyone claimed ignorance ranging from a low of $16 Million to the $92 Million it actually was with about five different answers along the way. Well we know now.

I can't wait to hear the argument that we won't have to raise taxes for this one. Back in my ill-fated campaign in the election cycle before last. I warned you that we are not going to be able to build our way out of the crisis we have. I also told you that we would have an immediate need for a BILLION DOLLARS in new construction. Given the recent trajectory in the increase in cost looks like I wasn't too far off.

LET'S MAKE SURE THEY PUT A WOTRING WING IN THIS DESIGN PLAN!