Hopewell City Council has given approval to the issuance of $15 million in bonds to pay for overdue capital improvements in the city school system, much to the dismay of some citizens who argued that the burden of repaying the bonds would ultimately fall on their shoulders.
However, what riled up many people in the gallery the most was Mayor Johnny Partin Jr., rebutting claims by citizens by clarifying what he called the “misinformation put out by the public and certain public members” in their comments during the public hearing on the bonds. It was the second time during the April 14 meeting that Partin spoke out about the points citizens raised – it also happened earlier in the evening following the public-comment period – and this time, members of the audience began voicing their disapproval.
Partin claimed Hopewell was in its dire fiscal condition because of mismanagement by former city administrators and council members. He said that prior administrators had “inflated” the budget numbers of years past…