Debt, developer deals lead toward destruction

Latest votes aren’t just about policy, they’re about the soul and future of county

8:58 a.m. Sept. 23, 2025

This month, the council passed resolutions to borrow money for the science textbooks and the TCRS pension plan, about which I wrote last month. The TCRS pension plan is anticipated to be funded by another tax increase next year. We rezoned some more agricultural land to residential. Apparently, the school system now has a cash-flow problem, so the council opted to allow it to borrow the money from the county’s debt service fund to be repaid by June 30 of next year.

At the risk of being called a shock jock, I preface the following by pointing to my previous articles and explicitly stating that I do not believe the following to be at all hyperbolic:

Hell’s marching orders are to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

I believe that the case has been effectively made that the vote last Monday on the TCRS pension plan will plainly accomplish two of those. The case could be made for the third in a non-physical sense. In any case, in the words of Meat Loaf, “Two out of three ain’t bad.”

Next month, the council will be addressed by a representative of the Gateway Companies regarding an “affordable housing” project along Highway 55. If you have thoughts on this matter, then please reach out not just to your council members but to all of us. I assure you that, when it doesn’t pertain to increasing the household incomes of their friends and family, the opinions of these council members can be swayed.

The people of this county need to decide, before it is hoisted upon you, what you want this county to look like over the next 30-50 years. Non-presidential election years – such as 2026, when many of these council seats are determined – have an average voter turnout of just 43% countywide over the last four cycles. Some of these districts have historically had fewer than 300 people voting, which determines three of your council votes per district. Often, many of these seats are uncontested.

My prayer is that the people of this county make a conscious decision about the direction of the future, one way or the other, and soon.

[Editor's Note: The Moore Council voted 9-3 to authorize a Tax Revenue Anticipation Note (TRAN) for the school system. The measure does not increase the school budget but provides short-term cash flow coverage until property tax revenues begin arriving in December and January. The TRAN is essentially an internal loan from the county’s debt service fund – repaid by June 30, 2026 – and serves as a safeguard to ensure payroll and bills are met without risk of default. While officials noted it is possible the funds may not need to be borrowed, the move was described as a prudent precaution. Peggy Sue Blackburn, Robert Bracewell, and Greg Guinn voted no.]