PUSD now allowed to sell bonds directly

PARADISE >> The Butte County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution Tuesday that will allow the Paradise Unified School District to sell bonds directly without needed approval or involvement from the board itself going forward.

Back in 2018, the district approved issuing $61 million in bonds for educational facilities which broke down into three series. Treasurer and Tax Collector Troy Kidd provided a brief presentation before the board.

“The Paradise Unified School District Board of Trustees is asking that the board of supervisors adopt a resolution allowing the district to issue bonds without the direct involvement of the board of supervisors as a conduit issuer,” Kidd said.

The board quickly moved to approve the resolution unanimously.

Supervisor and Chairman Bill Connelly said this is something that should be checked at the legislative level.

“The voters of Paradise vote for it,” Connelly said. “They approve it. They’re held accountable for it. It’s the Paradise School District yet we as the board of supervisors have to rubber-stamp it. I never see a way that we would stop it. Maybe we ought to get the legislature to change this. It makes no sense.”

Tuesday also marked the first meeting of the board without former Supervisor Debra Lucero, who stepped down after taking a fulltime position with Plumas County as chief administrative officer. She was defeated in the June District 2 election by Peter Durfee, who will begin his term after the first of the year.

The Butte County Board of Supervisors generally meets at 9 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at its chambers located at 25 County Center Drive, Suite 205 in Oroville. Meetings are free and open to the public.