The Kernersville Board of Aldermen unanimously approved financing terms this week for a package of town facility improvements that includes funding for a long-debated public pool project.
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The vote followed a brief public hearing on Wednesday about how the town plans to finance improvements that were previously approved as part of the fiscal year 2025-26 operating budget. With no residents on hand to speak for or against the measure, the board quickly moved to approve the plan.
Town Manager Curtis Swisher told aldermen that the town solicited loan proposals from two dozen lenders to finance a total of $13.7 million in general improvements, including a $13 million community pool and bathhouse planned for a site at Etta Lea & Lawrence Pope Memorial Park.
Additional projects include fencing at town facilities, renovations at the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, a new roof for the old Paddison Memorial Library building, and upgrades to the police locker rooms and restrooms at Town Hall.
Three lenders submitted proposals with Webster Public Finance Corporation offering the lowest total cost. The approved financing carries a fixed interest rate of 3.84 percent over 10 years with a total cost of approximately $16.3 million.
Swisher noted that the vote would not authorize new projects but rather finalize the method for financing improvements already included in the adopted budget.
The public pool has been a recurring topic of discussion over the past year, drawing both support and skepticism from residents. Aldermen first established a capital fund for the pool almost exactly one year ago, later approving a design-build contracting method and selecting the site at Pope Park.
Before any financing agreement is finalized, the proposal must be approved by the North Carolina Local Government Commission, which is scheduled to review the matter at its March 3 meeting.
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