February 16, 2005

MARTIN'S CHOICES FILL OUT ROSTER FOR
SCHOOL BUILDING SOLUTIONS COMMITTEE

Charlotte, NC --Boasting a diverse mix of representatives from throughout the region, the 35-member School Building Solutions Committee is just about ready to go to work.

Committee chairman former Governor Jim Martin added his 9 appointments earlier today, bringing the total number of members to 35. They represent a wide cross-section of views and backgrounds. 

"We feel there is a reasonably balanced mix of major political parties, with 14 registered Democrats, 15 registered Republicans and 5 unaffiliated voters," said Martin. "The hope is that the disparity of views will help hammer out a workable solution for the needs of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System (CMS)."  Of the appointed members, 12 live in areas of Charlotte considered urban, 13 in the suburbs and 7 in the smaller towns in Mecklenburg County . 

The committee was formed by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners on the heels of last fall's defeat of the school bond package. The goal is to build a school capital package that will be supported by the community.  To do this, the Committee will consider concerns about how CMS handles school construction, enrollment growth, and how to pay for building and renovating schools.

In addition to Martin's selections, each member of the Board of County Commissioners, members of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, and the seven Mecklenburg mayors appointed someone to serve on the Committee. Those selections, as well as process recommendations for the Committee's scope of work, timetable and budget, are scheduled for discussion by Board of County Commissioners at its regular meeting, February 21.

See the full committee list