“The project has not been shelved. The schedule for the sports complex has not changed because there never has been a schedule. It is a dream project that I hope to see come to fruition down the road, but right now all of the systems’ resources are focused on improving our schools.” – Cullman County Schools Superintendent Dr. Shane Barnette
Please note: This article contains quotes from social media comments that have not been edited for content, spelling or punctuation.
CULLMAN, Ala. – The multi-use sports and performing arts complex introduced by Cullman County Board of Education (CCBOE) Superintendent Dr. Shane Barnette, originally codenamed “Project X,” began stirring controversy even before it was revealed on March 19. The use of the codename itself led some observers to conclude that something not quite on the level was going on when the Cullman County Commission on March 12 approved a 15-year half-cent sales tax hike to fund the yet unrevealed project along with improvements to county school campuses and school security.
The sports and performing arts complex introduced would be built along Alabama Highway 157 near its intersection with I-65, located behind Warehouse Discount Groceries, on land donated to the CCBOE by Roy Drinkard. Lodging tax money contributed by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce would also help fund the project, which was projected to reach $30 million.
Social media comments on the commission’s approval of the half-cent tax included:
- “They made a conscious decision to keep this vote a secret from those who will be actually paying the tax. They wouldn’t allow this tax to be discussed in advance because they knew people would have voted no.”
- “So, is this one of those ‘ you’ll have to pass it to see what’s in it’ sort of deals?”
Some were more hopeful:
- “half a cent to support better security in schools and they don’t have to include putting guns in schools. i’m ok with this. half a cent is not that big of a deal to me especially to upgrade security for schools.”
- “This was a 1/2 a cent to help out kids. Not even one penny. I am not sure what the issue is. When a roof falls in our kids, or a shooter comes through, or a child is hurt from another facilities issue are we going to care about a 1/2 cent?”
Risky timing
When the sales tax-funded Project X was finally revealed as a multi-use sports and performing arts complex, it happened on the same day that county residents went to the polls to vote on the renewal of a set of decades-old education property tax allocations, leading to some confusion evident in comments like, “Thought it wasn’t a new tax. You can’t have it both ways.”
Others zeroed in on the barrage of tax issues hitting the county at almost the same time, including the statewide gas tax increase that passed on March 12, with comments like: “How does big and little government expect us to survive if taxes keep going up? What are we suppose to do when more than 50% of our in-come is paying tax??? You’ve got to admit, 3 different tax issues/creations/increases within 2 weeks is a big shock to the system.”
Many didn’t seem as up-set about the tax as they were about the project itself.
Despite over two-thirds of the half-cent tax revenue slated to go to school security and facility upgrades, they expressed a view that the approximately 30 per-cent spent on development and construction of the complex should also go directly to the schools:
- “$30 million could go along way in a system that could use repairs, upgrades, and basic supplies. It would make sense to complete Projects A-W, before starting Project X.”
- “They have $30 MILLION for this ‘project’ yet teachers send letters home with students begging for money to buy supplies.”
- “I’m not a fan of how this tax was implemented, nor am I a fan of the sports complex. There are enough issues at each county school that could benefit from the tax instead of Project X.”
Some expressed hope that Barnette and the project developers knew what they’re doing:
- “It’s hard to disagree with something that will supply the system with ongoing and large revenue. I understand sports make money. I do hope that the CDC play-ground sees a large boost from this money as well as the top priority things at the other schools. I like and respect Coach Barnett and can’t imagine he’d go against and put his face with something he didn’t believe is right.”
- “After reading through all of this, I also think this may have been one of the better ideas in a while – – provided it works. If Drinkard Development is behind it they’ve probably studied the whole deal and determined it will work. All the county schools have to run off of is tax money. If this is marketed well and adequately used and well maintained, it could be an additional source of revenue for the county schools and I could get behind it. Either way, I guess it’s coming, so lets see what happens!”
Local officials respond
Last Thursday, Hanceville Mayor Kenneth Nail and the Hanceville City Council adopted a resolution officially opposing the county sports complex but not the tax, setting off a series of official reactions on one side or the other, and sometimes right in the middle, of the issue.
The resolution read:
Whereas, Shane Barnette, Cullman County Board of Education (CCBOE) Super-intendent, Kenny Brockman, Hanceville Board Member, and the other members of the CCBOE initiated a half-cent sales tax for a multi-use sports event venue;
and Whereas, the CCBOE passed this initiative in an early morning special called meeting;
and Whereas, the CCBOE delivered this initiative to the Cullman County Com-mission the same morning wherein it was improved to be imposed upon the people of Cullman County;
and Whereas, the imposed half-cent sales tax will help fund this project with an estimated cost of $30 million;
and Whereas, the county school facilities located in Hanceville are in need of re-pair and expansion;
and Whereas, the multi-use sports and event venue will have a detrimental effect on the local schools, local economy, and Wallace State Community College.
Now therefore, be it re-solved by the City Council of the City of Hanceville that the Hanceville CCBOE Member, Kenny Brockman, the CCBOE Superintendent, Shane Barnette and the rest of the Cullman County Board of Education Members be notified that the City of Hanceville is in opposition to the construction of the multi-use sports facility.
It is further resolved that the City of Hanceville calls upon the Hanceville CCBOE Member, Kenny Brockman, to oppose this project and stand firm for this community, as he was elected to do, by petitioning for the half-cent sales tax to be used to improve our local school facilities.
This week, Nail told The Tribune, “I had another meeting this morning with the superintendent, and he assured me that the concerns of the mayor and the council of the City of Hanceville was a concern of his, and that he would be working on them. He couldn’t give me a time frame on when these things could be fixed, but he assured me that it was a concern to him and that he would be working on them.”
Is there a point at which you would support the project?
Nail replied, “Well, I’ll tell you what we recommend-ed: we recommended that he take these funds and that he use these funds for five years to address some of the major issues that’s through-out the county at these different campuses. Then, after he gets these major issues addressed in about five years, bring this project back and we’d take a hard look at it.
“But we felt like the money, right now, would be better served locally at the local complexes. We do feel like Hanceville’s not isolated; I believe there’s needs at every county school, so we’re just hoping that he’ll reevaluate that and the board will reevaluate that.
“Don’t take it completely off the table, but we just think right now there’s too many other pressing issues that would be better served to take care of. I think that’s a good compromise. And again, you know, like I said, he don’t have to take it completely off the table; but for five years just put it on hold and fix these issues.”
Cullman County Commissioner Garry Marchman…
…voted to approve the half cent sales tax that will fund the sports complex, and security and facility up-grades. On Tuesday, he told The Tribune:
“When we went into this, we knew the Project X was something they wanted to do with a portion of the tax, but that’s not necessarily what sold me on the half cent tax. What sold me on the tax was the fact that it was going to help with the security, and that’s kind of a selfish note on my part be-cause the more the schools put into security, like re-source officers and stuff like that, the less that comes out of our general fund. Right now, if a deputy goes out there and the sheriff has to foot the bill, that comes out of our general fund. I guess that was a little selfish on my part.
“Getting back to whether or not to build Project X, I think as a commissioner I have to take the stand that look, I took and voted for a half cent tax for facilities and for security. Did I know about Project X? Yes, I did. Do I necessarily dis-agree with Project X? No. If it’s going to take resources that needs to be committed to other areas or if it’s going to take money from the schools, like they are saying–maybe it will and may-be it won’t–but if it is then yeah, I think it may need to be looked at by the board that regulates that, which is the Cullman County Board of Education.
“I knew about Project X, so for me to say that I was against Project X? I can’t say that because I voted for the tax. I’ll tell you something about Project X people may be overlooking: in the future, I think we are going to have to look when it comes to education, which is outside my business. That’s outside of my business because my business is the County Commission and not the schools’. But it’s a part of Cullman County. We have to know what we’re doing. If we look at consolidation of resource, consolidation of schools, I think there’s going to come a time in Cull-man’s future that in order to look at consolidating our schools and consolidating our programs and stuff like that. I think from a business standpoint that we’re going to have to look at that in order to fund our schools in the way they need to be funded.
“I hated to see Jones Chapel close. My grandmother went to that school. My mother went to that school. I went to school there but it needed to be, maybe not necessarily closed, but it needed to be redone. Something needed to be done. It becomes an emotional thing to people when you start closing schools. Like Garden City: for me to say it was right or wrong; I can’t say. I know it was a very emotional thing when the doors closed there.
“It’s not a good strategy to remain the way we are doing with all these schools scattered everywhere. So maybe one of the positives of this project, if we can say there’s a huge positive, is the fact if this does happen, we’re going to have a place where we can look at the way the future needs to be and that’s a consolidated effort.
“I know it’s about community. I know it is, beyond a shadow of the doubt. Our schools are about community but, from a business standpoint, we gotta look at better ways to spend our money.
“When I first saw Project X, I thought maybe I was for it; but now that I am get-ting all the negative feed-back, I have to lean with my constituents and say well, maybe we need to reevaluate this.”
Marchman concluded, “I’ll be the first to stand up and say I make mistakes every day, and I don’t think my vote for the half cent tax was a mistake, but I think the mistake that I made was not giving the people the right to vote for the half cent. It needed to be voted on by the people. It sure did. For me to say I did the right thing there, no I did not but did I vote right? Yes, because had it come to a vote, I would have voted for the half cent increase, because I see the need.”
Marchman met with new West Point Mayor Gerald Schafer Tuesday morning, and said of him, “I can’t speak for him . . . but I don’t think he’d mind me saying this: he was not necessarily for the complex, but he didn’t have a big problem with the half cent tax.”
Other officials shared:
Rep. Randall Shedd, R-Fairview
“Investment in public schools in Cullman County will pay off in my opinion. Well thought-out and facility upgrades to benefit students is important. I hope we can see a quick ‘coming together’ in our community with everyone on the same page as we move forward.”
Baileyton Mayor Johnny Dyar
On Monday evening, after the Baileyton Town Council adopted a resolution similar to that of Hanceville, Dyar told The Tribune, “I’m not for it. I am not for it. It won’t hurt us because we don’t have a high school, but it sure will hurt those that do. They want to move two home games to (the complex), but that will just kill them.”
Good Hope Mayor Jerry Bartlett
“I’m just looking at the city of Good Hope. We’ve had a middle school that’s been built in the early 90’s and we’ve needed a gym and can’t get one. We’ve needed a middle school library and we can’t get one. We’ve got an elementary school that’s almost 100 years old. I just think there is some more dire need for some of these schools in order. There’s issues all over the county and I just think we need to get our schools up to date and worry about that before we worry about a sports complex.
(Regarding playing games at the proposed complex) “On those nights, in-stead of people buying food at Wendy’s or Hardee’s and buying fuel at Pilot, Exxon, Shell and Marathon, they’d be buying it up on 157. Our city would be basically a ghost town.
“The main thing is tying up $30 million. I’m not against the half cent gas tax. I don’t mind that the com-mission passed the half cent because Lord knows we can spend that money on our schools, because they need it. I don’t begrudge that at all. To cut out that 30% of that $4 million to go for 15 years for a $30 million complex, that’s where I draw the line. I just think we don’t need to do that. I think we could use 100 percent of it plus.”
Bartlett noted that the Good Hope City Council has not had an opportunity to discuss the matter as a group.
Garden City Mayor Tim Eskew
“I don’t mind saying it, I’m against it. The money needs to be spent at the local schools; there’s too many schools that need things done, and each school has their own sports facility, and it’s actually going to take money away from the local communities if you have to have so many of your home games at that facility. That’s the way I look at it, you’re taking away from the local communities. Honestly, with what’s happened to Garden City, us losing Garden City School, I just think it’s another bad decision on the way of the (Cullman County) School Board.
“We were supposed to have saved money by closing Garden City School; we must have saved a lot by them wanting to do this.”
Dodge City Mayor Tawana Canada
“We are sort of remaining neutral because Dodge City does not have a school like Hanceville or Baileyton or Holly Pond. So, we’re really just trying to stay neutral and learn more about it.”
Vinemont Mayor Raginald Dodson…
…chose to focus on the other things the tax could do, saying, “There will be no resolutions at our town meeting. I’m for it. We need security in our schools and security is our no. 1 priority. I’m ready to take care of the kids in this county.”
Holly Pond Mayor Bill Oliver…
…when asked at the Holly Pond Town Council meeting this week if the town would take a position on Project X, responded, “Probably not as a council; that’s not our purview to get into it. That’s a little issue that the (Cullman) County Commission and the (Cullman County) School Board really have. I think everybody, everybody, not just me and you, but everybody, has their own opinion about that. Even if we voted for or against it, we’re not gonna affect what happens. I’m not bringing it up. I feel like it’s out of our jurisdiction.”
Backlash at the Chamber of Commerce
When the sports complex project was announced, Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce President Leah Bolin shared that the chamber had allocated its two percent lodging tax to the project. On Tuesday, as the controversy continued to grow, the chamber issued this statement:
“Cullman County Schools Superintendent Dr. Shane Barnette asked to make a presentation to the Chamber Board concerning a project that would not only benefit the students of Cullman County, but would also positively impact tourism. The Board approved 2% of the Chamber’s portion of the lodging tax for a period of 15 years. Previous projects supported by the Chamber include: Heritage Park (20 years) and the County Road 222 interchange (10 years), which is due to be retired in 2023. This project is another way the Chamber supports existing and future businesses throughout the Cullman area.”
Certain chamber members were not as positive. Wallace State Community College, which often hosts CCBOE events on its campus, withdrew its membership in the chamber, though without specifying a reason. The Tribune could not reach WSCC President Dr. Vicki Karolewics for comment, and the school’s Assistant to the President for Cultural & External Affairs, Kristen Holmes, said simply, “We’re declining to comment.”
According to a source in Cullman, Cullman City Schools Superintendent Dr. Susan Patterson has resigned her position on the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the city school system has withdrawn its chamber membership.
Reaction from Cullman’s Hospitality Association has not been any better.
Tabatha Smothers, general manager of the Cullman Hampton Inn and head of the association, told The Tribune: “The tourism tax dollars were used for a non-tourism entity and project. That is how I feel and how the owners I have had contact with here locally feel. I also think it was a back door decision because it came out of left field. Nobody knew about it. We were not told that they were going to give the lodgings tax dollars toward that. One of our hoteliers, one of the owners, sits on the tourism board and they did not know anything about it. That’s who needs to know. That’s who should know. The Chamber has a tourism director that could use those funds to go out and bring in business that puts heads on beds that’s tourism related.
“It doesn’t make sense to a lot of people. There was no communication.
“It will be close to the Holiday Inn and La Quinta but, as far as the long term goal and what it will provide to the hotels, I still do not feel that it’s going to provide enough tourism dollars. Of course, I don’t know anything about the project because I have not seen anything in the paper about it, nothing has been produced to show any feasibility studies or anything of that nature, I have not seen. I don’t know how they plan on running it as well. I just don’t know enough about it.”
Asked if any hotels were considering leaving the Chamber, Smothers responded, “We are going to have a meeting and discuss what we are going to do going forward,” and concluded, “Tourism tax dollars should not be given to a school board or school system.”
Cullman Parks, Recreation, and Sports Tourism Executive Director Nathan Anderson
Anderson, who on March 18 announced CP&R’s plan to construct a multi-million dollar indoor sports facility of its own at the old Marvin’s location on Main Avenue Southwest between Heritage Park and the Aquatic Center, talked to The Tribune earlier this week, expressing no opinion about the county project but saying that he would welcome an opportunity to meet with Barnette, to “sit down and discuss their plans and our plans, to determine what’s the best possible solution for our schools, and our community and sports tourism.”
He added, “If you look at our Wellness and Aquatic Center membership, if you look at our program registration, if you look at our Camp Cullman registration or sports leagues, we serve people all over this county and even outside of our county. We exist for our community as a whole, which expands to the entire Cullman area and surrounding neighbors; it is our desire, as always, to work with others and do what’s best for our community as a whole.”
In the eye of the storm: CCBOE Superintendent Dr. Shane Barnette
Barnette worked with Roy Drinkard, who donated the property on the north side of Hwy. 157 for Project X, and the team at Drinkard Development, Inc. to develop the plan for the $30 million sports and performing arts complex. Barnette went to the Cullman County Commission in person to make the request for the half-cent sales tax to fund the project, install substantial security upgrades in schools across the system and make numerous facility improvements. He then unveiled Project X to the public.
Earlier this week, he talked to The Tribune, saying: “What’s best for the students of Cullman County is at the center of everything I do. I feel like this sports and arts complex would be something that could generate a source of revenue for our school system for many years to come, while not taking away from any individual school. We can still meet the needs at every one of our local schools, and then hopefully this complex could be self-supportive in a few years, and all of the sales tax could be spent at each of the local schools.”
Barnette specified that the portion of the sales tax earmarked for the complex will continue to go to the project for the 15 years of the tax, but that the revenue generated by the complex will go to the schools, and is predicted to exceed the amount of tax money being spent in as short as three years. According to the proposed plan, the county system–in the long run–should see more revenue from the complex than it would have seen from taking the tax money directly.
The superintendent continued, “But we’ll continue to meet the local needs, as we have and now we can even better, but also it gives our students another opportunity to participate and have a place to go and play, not only sports, but participate in arts and theater, and band competitions, and all the sort like that.
“I want to get across that I’m not trying to pick a fight with anybody. I’m trying to help our students; and if I can use that facility while Cullman County students are not using it, if we could bring in people from outside of Cullman to spend money here in Cullman to help pay for the facility and increase revenue for the city and the county, we want to do that.
“I guess I want everybody to know that my motives are pure, and I don’t have a hidden agenda or anything like that, and I want what’s best for our students and our community.”
Barnette commended his partners at Drinkard Development, saying, “Roy Drinkard’s done something right over the last 98 years. He’s the most successful businessman, probably, one of the most successful in the state of Alabama and Southeast, and if he thinks it’s a great idea and he’s supporting it, you’d think others would get behind him.”
Giving county students opportunities
“I’ve heard for years,” said Barnette, “that ‘Why can’t the county kids have a facility, whether it be band, or theater, or sports, on the level that the city school systems have?’ So I’m racking my brain, trying to figure out a way–how could I do that. And I’ve shared that dream with Roy Drinkard, I’ve shared that with other people; and between all of us, we come up with a plan that, well, while you’re not using the facility, what else can it be used for?
“And that’s where it came into, ‘Oh, well, how about travel sports? How about conventions, and how about these big meetings, and things like that?’ And when I got somebody to start pulling the numbers on those industries, it’s actually phenomenal. It’s a 40 billion dollar a year–just travel sports–is a 40 billion dollar a year industry. So the facility that Cullman–the city Parks and Rec’s–doing, it’s completely different, I feel like, but we can both be very successful and really work together. And I don’t know why we can’t.”
Barnette said that he understood that taxes, by definition, create negative feelings, but he continued, “But, at the same time, everybody’s got to realize the Cullman County school system is at the bare minimum as far as the ad valorem tax, compared to the city. And nobody’s really brought out that this half cent sales tax: the city’ll get almost a million dollars a year from the sales tax as well. We’ll get almost $4 million.”
On Wednesday, Barnette issued the following public statement:
CULLMAN COUNTY’S NEW half-cent sales tax for facilities and safety
First and foremost I would like to thank the Cullman County Commissioners (Garry Marchman, Kenneth Walker, and Kerry Watson) for levying the sales tax that will benefit Cullman County Schools and Cullman City Schools. Their leadership and dedication to all the students of Cullman County was demonstrated by this action and their confidence in the leadership of the two school systems was evident as well.
While the primary focus for the use of this sales tax has been placed by some on the construction of a multisport/arts complex, this was never meant to be the focus. Not one cent has been spent toward any such complex. Even the renderings that were used at the press conference did not cost anything. The board has not been asked to vote on anything besides the resolution to request the sales tax. It currently is still a dream that may come about someday but not today.
The true focus and purpose of the sales tax is to make much needed upgrades to the safety and security of our students on each of our existing campuses. Also, to make the much needed facility repairs and upgrades on the current campuses. Many projects and repairs that are scheduled for the future can now be addressed using this sales tax. Currently, 100 percent of the sales tax will be spent on local campuses to better meet our safety and facility needs.
Even though none of the funds have been collected yet, I have already set in motion with Sheriff Gentry the hiring of additional School Resource Officers, ordered fencing, and other safety related products and services. Please know that 100 percent of these funds will go into a separate account so that we can report how they are spent at any time. I promise you there will always be 100 percent transparency.
I am burdened many people were stirred up about the potential for a new complex. I am truly excited to move forward and get started addressing needs within the system. These needs will include but are not limited to; asphalting, replacing some old buildings, fencing, updating and expanding some lunchrooms, updating HVAC, replacing and adding awnings where needed, and work toward providing more opportunities for our students through career tech and STEM.
This is truly an exciting time for Cullman County Schools and I hope that everyone will begin to notice the wonderful upgrades, repairs and additions on all of our campuses.
Project not shelved
After the release, some local media reported that Barnette had “shelved” the project, but the superintendent reported to The Tribune, “The project has not been shelved. The schedule for the sports complex has not changed because there never has been a schedule. It is a dream project that I hope to see come to fruition down the road, but right now all of the systems’ resources are focused on improving our schools.”
Near the end of our conversation earlier this week, the superintendent shared, “Here’s my heart: I want something for my students, and I’ve got to find a way to pay for it. And I feel like I can pay for it like this, and then also create a revenue that’s going to put money back in our school system way into the future without ever having to raise the taxes again. And you’d think most people would applaud that.”
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