Local News - January 2004

Cochrane cites county successes, failures

Published January 14, 2004

By AL DOZIER, Staff Writer

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Lincoln County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jerry Cochrane spoke about accomplishments and some failures in an address Monday to the Lincolnton Rotary Club that sounded a little like a farewell speech.

It was a “state of the county” address that led off with the achievements of the past year: two new schools, a new library in east Lincoln, a new EMS building and two new water tanks. But Cochrane began his speech with a reference to his “fourth and final year” on the board, and sounded the messages of a departing office holder.

“We’ve got a great bunch of people – hard workers, dedicated,” he said. “They could earn more money somewhere else but they like it here.”

Cochrane recalled his earlier service on the board in 1986 when the county approved a $13 million budget. This year it’s $64 million. Since 1990 the population has grown by 27 percent and the infrastructure cost has soared.

“We’ve been a little behind, playing catch-up,” he said.

But Cochrane spoke with pride about the new DSS Building, just dedicated this past weekend, built at a good price from the framework of an old grocery store. Now that DSS workers are under one roof, efforts should be focused to relocate the health department from quarters “better suited for commercial use.”

He said the county will soon see an expansion on the Lincoln Campus of Gaston College and will ultimately have to find room for offices that are outgrowing the courthouse.

Cochrane frequently made reference to the financial struggles faced by the county in providing water, sewer and EMS services. EMS fees have been raised but the operation is still not paying for itself, he said. New developments are footing the bill for the sewer lines they require.

But the biggest expense facing the county in the years ahead are the schools, which this year cost the county some $19 million.

The proposed $47 million bond issue would take care of school expenses for the next five years if voters approve a referendum in the spring. But Cochrane, who supports the bond issue, said that debt will have to be paid back, and the county’s resources are limited.

“It’s not fair to keep passing this onto the property tax,” Cochrane said, noting that many property tax payers are retired residents on fixed incomes. But he said the property tax currently “is the only option we have.”

The solution lies with General Assembly authorization for impact fees and other resources, but so far lawmakers have refused to grant such options.

“They said forget it,” Cochrane said.

Cochrane said he is working hard to get sewer and water to the Lincolnton/Lincoln County Regional Airport, but felt that he failed in one of his missions on the board — a joint city-county water venture.

“I worked hard on it, but I couldn’t do it,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Some community leaders have observed that residents in the city and county will be better served economically  by a single water system. City and county leaders conferred for months on the issues, but were unable to reach an accord.

Answering questions after the speech, he received a compliment from a Rotarian who noted that since Cochrane came on the board he doesn’t read “about people fighting with each other” every time he opens the newspaper.

Cochrane responded that elected officials often express different opinions, and “that’s healthy” but ultimately they must overcome their differences.

As he steps down from the post, Cochrane said others need to come forward.

“We need good people to step up to the plate,” he said.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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