THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2008

THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2008

Shed more light

To light or not to light the athletic Helds—that is

the question before the School Board and the

Board of Supervisors of Rappahannock County.

The Rappahannock County School Sports Association is putting on a full-court press to persuade the county government to sign on to a $511,000 deal that would finance the installation of lighting for night football, soccer, baseball and softball games at the athletic fields at the high school and elementary school.

RCSSA argues that night games would increase . attendance, generate more ticket and concessions revenue, avoid exposing student athletes to playing in excessive heat, and answer objections of visiting teams that don’t want to cut into school time to come to Rappahannock to play during afternoons.

Those benefits need to be balanced against the risks of the proposed deal, and the larger question of priorities in spending on school programs at the county's public schools. The School Board and the Board of Supervisors need to ask many probing questions before obligating the county to a 10-year-contract with its inherent risks.

Here’s what RCSSA is proposing: The contractor, Musco Lighting, would erect towers topped by downshielded lights at the high school’s Panther Stadium, and at the softball and baseball fields behind the elementary school. The system would cost $395,000 if all three fields are included.

The association says it will pay the full cost with donated funds. But it does not have $395,000 in hand, so it wants Rappahannock County (read: taxpayers) to sign a 10-year lease-purchase agreement guaranteeing payments to Musco.

Under that deal, the cost would be financed over 10 years at an interest rate of about 4.9 percent, producing annual payments of about $51,000, or more than $511,000 total. These favorable terms—no money down, low interest rate—are available only if the county government signs the contract. If RCSSA itself is obligated, it would have to put 25 percent down (which it does not have) and pay a higher interest rate.

Don’t worry, officials of RCSSA say, we’re going to raise all the funds needed for the payments; it won’t cost the county taxpayers a nickel.

Excuse us, but we can’t help but worry about such promises. And wp think the School Board and the supervisors have a duty to scrutinize this deal carefully, and ask a lot of questions, before signing on the dotted line.