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Freqently Asked Questions about the Education Referendum

1. Why now, in these difficult times?

It is now, more than ever, that the county needs RCC to help put people back to work and help facilitate economic recovery. This would be the worst possible time to have to turn students away.

2. Aren't there other places/ways to get the money?

We cannot use state funds for capital expenses. By regulation, capital needs must be funded by the county. The trustees are not authorized to borrow money for capital needs. Grants for building facilities are extremely rare. This is one of the last options we have to meet our expansion needs to adequately serve the county’s workforce and economic development needs.

3. How will this affect others who depend on county funds?

It will actually help them by giving us a separate revenue stream and removing us from the annual competition for county funding for special projects. Further, it will fund our capital needs without raising the county’s debt load, a major factor in the county’s ability to fund other needs.

4. If we pass this referendum, is there any guarantee that our property taxes will not increase?

That is a decision only the County Commissioners can make. However, passing this referendum would mean that, if there is any future property tax increase, it would be two-cents less than it would be otherwise. Passing this referendum would certainly relieve the pressure on the amount of any potential additional property taxes. 

5. Will there be a “sunset clause,” or is this tax forever?

That is a decision only the County Commissioners can make. While the County Commissioners have expressed their support for the college’s effort to expand our facilities and services for the benefit of the county’s workforce and economic development, we do not anticipate receiving any guarantee from the County Commissioners about the length of time this tax would stay in effect. Any future Board of Commissioners could choose to continue the tax, end it, or dedicate it to other pressing needs in the county. At this point, it will be dedicated to RCC capital needs, to assist us in aiding the county’s workforce and economic development.

6. What will be housed in the Klaussner building?

  • We will double the space for our Machining program, enabling us to enroll more students in this program that has a high employability rate for its students.
  • We will have a state-of-the-art specialized, customized training center to meet the training needs of our county's businesses and industries.
  • We will double the space for our Continuing Education program, which provides services to business and industry, trains students for EMS and other licensed careers, and assists entrepreneurs and small business owners.
  • The building will house a new Industrial Engineering program, which will give students excellent career opportunities, will strengthen the workforce for local manufacturers, and may be a contributing factor in attracting new manufacturers to our community.

7. What are some of the specific details about the election procedure?

  • Registering to Vote: The deadline for registering to vote at your normal precinct polling site in the March 2 referendum election is February 5. You may register to vote at the County Elections Office (158 Worth Street, Asheboro).
  • Early Voting: Early voting will be February 11-27, and you may vote at either the County Elections Office (158 Worth Street, Asheboro) or the Commissioners meeting room at the Randolph County Administration Building (725 McDowell Road, Asheboro).
    1. These voting sites will be open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. each week day, and on Saturday, February 27, from 9 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
    2. Important Notice: During this early voting period, you can go to a one-stop site (either the County Elections Office or the Randolph County Administration Building) with the proper identification, and register and vote at the same time, even if you missed the February 5 deadline to vote at your precinct polling site.
  • Voting Locations and Times:
    1. For early voting, you may vote only at either the County Elections Office (158 Worth Street, Asheboro) or the Commissioners meeting room at the Randolph County Administration Building (725 McDowell Road, Asheboro).
    2. On March 2, you may vote only at your assigned precinct polling site. Those polling sites will be open on that day from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. 

8. What will the ballot look like? 

  • By law, the ballot can only say the following:

            [ ] FOR    [ ] AGAINST                           
Local sales and use tax at the rate of one-quarter percent (0.25%) in addition to all other State and local sales and use taxes.

  • The misleading “one-quarter percent (0.25%)” means one-fourth of a penny, not one quarter.
  • If you favor this referendum, giving one-fourth of a penny sales tax to RCC for its capital needs, enabling the college to better serve the county’s economic and workforce development needs, please vote:

[ ] FOR