December 18, 2015 Vol. 15 No. 51
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County critical of $6M sale of school land by Justin Vick justin@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is selling surplus property to show county commissioners that the district is fiscally responsible, but leaders view the effort as the district entering the real estate business. The latest misunderstanding in an ongoing rift between the boards centers on the sale of 32 acres surrounding Ballantyne Elementary School. Meritage Homes offered $6 million for the property. County commissioners discussed the sale Tuesday, Dec. 16, because they had the first right of refusal. Most of the feedback was of concern. Vilma Leake interpreted the sale as “double dipping.” Bill James and Jim Puckett described it as CMS getting into the development business. George Dunlap cautioned colleagues to “trust but verify.” Five of the commissioners played a direct role in buying the land in the first place. Leake and Dunlap served on the school board that bought the land in August 2005. And they continued serving on the board through 2008, when Ballantyne Elementary opened. James, Puckett and Dumont Clarke not only discussed the property during a closed session meeting Aug. 9, 2005, but they were among the eight commissioners voting in favor of CMS buying the site from KB Homes Charlotte LLP for about $4.3 million. (see Redistricting on page 8)
Carowinds unveils waterpark expansion Carowinds held a behind-thescenes tour showcasing plans for its new waterpark, opening spring 2016. Page 6
State Champs The Cougars edged Greenville Rose, 27-20, on Dec. 12 to win their first NCHSAA 4A state title. Jaret Anderson ran for 193 yards and three touchdowns, including a 14-yarder with less than a minute on the clock to put Catholic ahead for good. The Cougars finished with an unblemished 15-0 record. Page 13 Storage unit voted down
Charlotte Christian gives back
The plan for a storage unit and office space on N. Community House Road was voted down at Monday’s council meeting. Page 5
News Briefs 6 | Opinion 7 | Education 8 | Faith 10 | Calendar 11 | Sports 12 | Classifieds 15
Students at Charlotte Christian packed more than 1,000 backpacks with food to give to the hungry. Page 8