State of the Community focuses on troops, Hope Mills Lake, new Fayetteville pool
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- Among several topics, Sandhills-area leaders addressed federal budget cuts, troop reduction and the notorious Hope Mills Lake Dam during an annual State of the Community Luncheon Wednesday.
Fort Bragg Garrison Commander Col. Jeffrey Sanborn told community leaders that the post stands to lose a small portion of its soldiers in the Army's latest reduction plan. Federal budget cuts have military leaders reducing the Army's force from 560,000 to 490,000 by next year. Two-thousand of those soldiers will come from Fort Bragg. The post is currently home to 57,000 soldiers and their families.
Sanborn also said that deeper cuts would likely reduce force numbers in the near future, but there is no plan in place to lose 14,000 troops. That figure was outlined in a recent environmental study commissioned by the Army, in which worst-case scenario figures were detailed amid budget cuts.
"If you're going to fund 450,000 [soldiers] with a 420,000 budget, you have to manage at some risks," he said of the predicted long-term cuts.
Sanborn said those cuts would impact pay, modernization, training and installation monies on Fort Bragg as experienced from April to October of last year during sequestration.
"If we go forward on the path that we're on, we're going to because to the point where we were last year where we don't have the money to make ends meet," Sanborn told the crowd. "Pay the bills, keep the lights on, fix all the facilities, provide all the family programs and on and on and on. That would be a very unfortunate situation, but if and when it happens, recognize that it's happening because it has to happen - because our number one priority in the Army is readiness."
The commander noted Fort Bragg's position for the next round of BRAC, or the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. As the Army consolidates posts, and looks at the best places to relocate troops and their families, Sanborn said local school assessments play a big role. The Army recently commissioned a study that looked at school performance in Hoke, Harnett and Cumberland schools that serve 200 or more military-connected children. It was unclear what criteria the study took in to consideration, but Sanborn said outside of the Jack Britt school district, the results weren't favorable compared to other large military communities.
"Five of the nine high schools that have at least 200 military connected kids in them are in the bottom quartile," he said. "We've gotta fix that."
MAJOR UPDATES
Fayetteville Mayor Pro-tem Kady Ann Davy revealed the city is moving forward with a plan to finance a competitive pool.
Davy said the move will be financed by $2.3 million the council recently awarded to Parks and Recreation. Fayetteville currently has one public pool, Chalmers, located next to Fayetteville State University.
"For far too many years our youth, our adults, have had to travel outside our city to compete," said Davy, noting the money that's been driving out-of-town.
Hope Mills mayor, Jackie Warner, said the town plans are moving forward to repair the notorious Hope Mills dam, and there's a timeline in place.
"We're shooting for 2016 to have water back in the dam," she announced. "Let's pray that happens."
Warner said bids are currently out for engineering groups that have repaired dams in the past. The town recently settled $9 million lawsuit against the group that was hired to repair the dams following a summer 2010 leak. The dispute was based on delays.
Spring Lake Town Manager said the town will launch a service app next month. Residents will be able access things like youth-league sign-ups and water service requests through the "I Love Spring Lake" app.
