Feb. 27, 2026 Editor, The News-Gazette: I write in strong support of the proposed recreation center at Rockbridge County High School and in response to the opinion that the county should stop borrowing and “save up and pay cash” for projects such as this.
For a project of this size, “save and pay cash” would likely mean waiting another 15–20 years. The need for additional gym and recreation space has been in the Rockbridge County Public Schools Capital Improvement Plan for more than 15 years, and Rockbridge Area Recreation Organization (RARO) has struggled with gym access for nearly 30 years. Asking the community to wait “another two decades” effectively tells today’s students and families that their needs can be postponed indefinitely.
A strict “no debt ever” rule may work for a household, but counties are different. Local government must provide schools, public safety, roads, and facilities serving tens of thousands of people, and those projects are expensive. Every level of government all across our country uses carefully structured debt for large, long-lived assets. This is the standard, conservative way to spread costs so that those who use a facility over time also help pay for it.
The real question is not “debt or no debt,” but whether debt is used responsibly.
Rockbridge County’s financial advisers and independent auditors consistently report very strong fiscal health and conservative debt levels, well below a majority of comparable localities. The recreation center fits within that framework as a wellplanned, shared investment that will serve students, RARO, and residents of all ages for decades.
Interest does cost money, but it is also the price of having a working facility now rather than many years from now. Doing nothing has its own cost, paid in lost opportunities for youth, families, and seniors.
I urge the Board of Supervisors to move forward with the recreation center and to use all responsible financial tools, including well-structured debt, to invest in our community now and for generations to come. PHILLIP THOMPSON Division Superintendent Rockbridge County Public Schools
