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Hardy County school board approves lobbying contract with $60,000 guaranteed maximum after debate
Summary
After debate about timing and budget impact, the board approved a lobbying services contract (Arrow Group cited) with a guaranteed maximum of $60,000; the vote was 4–1. Board members argued the service is a proactive investment to secure capital appropriations.
The Hardy County School Board on Oct. 9 approved hiring lobbying services, voting 4–1 after a lengthy discussion about the timing of materials and potential impact on the general fund.
The board voted to approve the request for proposals for lobbying services following a motion by Miss Dasher and a second by Doctor Sharp. Doctor Sharp cast an affirmative vote; Mister Smith voted no. The motion approved a contract with the Arrow Group as the preferred vendor, which committee members said quoted a maximum of $60,000 and indicated room to negotiate below that level.
Board members and staff framed the contract as a proactive strategy to secure large appropriations for capital projects. Doctor Sharp argued for the investment, saying, “I just kinda think of a lobbyist as being a more proactive approach.” Committee members said the Arrow Group, while new in name, represents a joint venture of an established law firm and lobbying firm and that references and prior results were checked.
Mister Smith raised procedural and fiscal concerns, saying the feeding of documents to the agenda was late and pressing for clarity about where the fee would be charged. Staff and committee members responded that the committee held multiple vetting meetings and phone interviews and that, to their understanding, lobbying fees would be paid from the general fund rather than special facilities or appropriations.
Committee members also described the firm’s price history during interviews: the Arrow Group quoted a figure in the low‑$60,000 range but repeatedly characterized $60,000 as a guaranteed maximum. A committee representative said the firm had helped secure multimillion‑dollar appropriations for other clients, and proponents argued the expense could be justified if it generated funding for a new building or other capital projects.
The vote resolved the item in favor of contracting lobbying services. The motion’s supporting documents were uploaded shortly before the meeting, which several board members said made timely review difficult; the committee said the timing was driven by decisions reached close to posting and by a desire to meet session deadlines.
The board did not specify an effective contract start date at the meeting; staff indicated next steps will include final contract negotiation and follow‑up reporting to the board.
