A story posted May 5, 201o on Independent Mail.com said:

Oconee County Council members say they have done their homework on a $3.5 million bond issue to jump-start a developer’s Hartwell Lake project to increase the county tax base and create needed jobs.

Many residents who were present for the vote Tuesday on the loan said they were unconvinced.

The council voted 3-0 to approve the issue of up to $3.5 million worth of special-source revenue bonds. The money will pay for infrastructure that the developers of the Highpointe and Pointe West development, which is on the lakeside site of the former on the site of the former WestPoint Stevens textile plant, say is necessary to get the project back on track.

Council member Mario Suarez did not attend the council meeting Tuesday, and council member Wayne McCall recused himself from the discussions and voting because of a conflict of interest.

The developers of Highpointe and Pointe West — Neal Workman, Tom Winkopp and Will Huss — requested in October that the council move to issue the bonds of possibly up to $5.5 million because banks were reluctant to loan money for the infrastructure needed to keep the project moving forward.

Under the funding method devised by Oconee County, tax revenue collected on the already-existing development of Highpointe would be the revenue source for repaying the bonds.

County officials have said using that method of repayment means the burden will not be spread to other county taxpayers and would not affect the county’s general obligation bonded indebtedness rating.

“This is a solid investment,” Corbeil said. “We’ve done our homework.”

Council chairman Reg Dexter agreed.

“We’ve held two workshops, and we’ve talked with attorneys,” Dexter said. “People may not think so, but the homework has been done. This is good for the county.”