Saline County retires $43.5 million bond six years early
A bond burning ceremony was held Wednesday at the Saline County Career and Technical Center (SCCTC) to celebrate the early retirement of the 3/8-cent sales tax that funded its construction. Voters approved the tax in 2018 to support a $43.5 million bond, which was originally scheduled to be paid off in 2031.
By: Madison Basco
The Saline Courier
A bond burning ceremony was held Wednesday at the Saline County Career and Technical Center (SCCTC) to celebrate the early retirement of the 3/8-cent sales tax that funded its construction. Voters approved the tax in 2018 to support a $43.5 million bond, which was originally scheduled to be paid off in 2031. Instead, the bond was paid in full, nearly 6 years early, officially bringing the tax to an end.
The SCCTC opened in 2021 and has hosted over 500 tours and welcomed over 2,000 students, many of which received certifications in welding, medical professions, constructions, manufacturing, HVAC, automotive and more.
“We are a blessed group of people in this county,” County Judge Matt Brumley said. “I’m just going to say it unapologetically, Saline County is the greatest county in the state of Arkansas. This is a phenomenal facility. This 43.5 million dollar facility is 134,000 square feet. It was built on time and under budget.”
Brumley expressed gratitude to Executive Director of the Saline County Economic Development Cooperation, Lamont Cornwell, calling him the “tip of the spear” in moving the vision for the SCCTC forward. Cornwell expressed thanks to the residents of Saline County who approved the 3/8-cent sales tax and allowed for the construction of the campus to take place.
“There’s a lot of thank yous to go around, but really the thank you goes to the members and the people that live in Saline County,” Cornwell said. “We voted 55 to 45 percent to pass a 3/8-cent and 1% sales tax, 37 cents on a $100 bill. It passed in a county that is predominantly Republican and against the tax. I bet those 45 percent who voted against it wish they had a chance to vote again when they see what we’ve got right here. We did it.”
Cornwell reflected on the years of planning that went into creating the SCCTC, noting that the effort began with a vision for what leaders wanted the county to look like in 2020. It was carried forward by multiple county judges, school superintendents, and community leaders. He awarded special thanks to former Arkansas State Representative and Saline County Judge, Lanny Fite for guiding early planning, former county judge, Jeff Arey for helping moving the project into construction, and Brumley for managing the center’s finances, which has allowed equipment and and maintained needs to be met without additional taxpayer support.
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