Board member asks whether state funds exist to reopen closed schools; county official explains rationale for $30 million reserve

During the discussion on property transfers and facility conditions, a board member (speaker 9) asked whether anyone at the table had spoken with state officials who said funds were available to reopen previously closed schools.

"Has anybody around this table in this room spoken to a single state level official who has indicated that there are funds available from the state to reopen any previously closed schools in Granville County? If there are, please say their names right now," the board member asked.

A county official (speaker 10) responded with several reasons the county maintains a substantial fund balance. He said the reserve policy and strong actual reserves were cited positively by bond-rating agencies during recent reviews and noted that reserves can cover costs that arise unexpectedly, including a timeline for federal reimbursements for disaster response. "A main reason that was given for that was the strong, sort of reserve policy and a strong actual reserves of the county," he said, adding that reserves help stabilize the tax rate when additional costs arise.

The transcript does not record anyone naming specific state officials who promised reopening funds; the board member's question remained unanswered in terms of an identified commitment of state funding.