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Washington County to house Elections at Roper Union Main School; community groups press to retain vacant school spaces
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Summary
The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously April 7 to place Elections at Roper Union Main School while community groups urged retaining vacant school buildings for local uses including alumni archives, youth programs, senior services and Meals on Wheels operations.
The Washington County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously April 7 to locate the county’s Board of Elections at the Roper Union Main School, after hearing several residents and nonprofit leaders urge that vacant school facilities be preserved for local uses.
The decision came after Economic Development Director Kelly Chesson presented results of a community interest survey and multiple speakers described local needs. "The Association was formed March 2, 1992 to keep the legacy of the school alive," said Earnell Purington, representing the WCU Alumni Association, which reported it has provided more than $30,000 in scholarships and wants to purchase the Multi-Purpose Room as its headquarters. "We need a place for our Association to meet and plan for the future," Purington said.
Shamica Sanders, president of SIMP, asked the board to let her nonprofit use the stand-alone Roper gym "to be a safe haven for the kids," saying the group could pursue grants to support programming. Vanessa Joyner, speaking for Meals on Wheels, urged that Plymouth High School would better serve most homebound clients who live in Plymouth and cited concerns about volunteer travel if Election activities were moved farther from volunteers' routes.
County Manager and County Attorney Curtis S. Potter recommended the board take action that night to move forward with the Roper site, noting elections could be housed temporarily in the Multi-Purpose Building and later moved into the main school building. Commissioner John C. Spruill said, "if at all possible, find the space for Elections inside the school rather than move them two times," and moved to utilize the Roper Union Main School (not the Multi-Purpose Building). Commissioner Julius Walker seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
Commissioner Tracey A. Johnson also raised the need for drive-up voting accommodations for voters with disabilities as relocation plans proceed.
The public record shows a range of local preferences for use of vacant school properties: senior center staff requested a more central location for seniors; recreation staff said they could expand programming across towns and requested access to athletic fields; arts groups asked that facilities be kept for community events. The board did not vote on any sales, leases or grant funding that night; the action approved the Elections location and directed staff to continue evaluating options for other uses of the properties.
The board is scheduled to receive the county budget proposal at its May 5 meeting, at which time staff may present next steps or funding implications for reuse of school properties.