Union County voters have the opportunity to vote on two bond referendums in support of education. One is the $134.4 million bond for Union County Public Schools and the other is the $32.7 million bond for South Piedmont Community College. This article is the second of a two-part series to provide information about the referendums and the Union County Chamber’s position on both.
South Piedmont Community College has placed a $32,725,000 bond referendum on the ballot to construct a new Center for Entrepreneurship. These funds will be used for the actual cost of the building to be constructed on land that has been donated to the college.
- » In Union County there are over 5,000 businesses with 49 or fewer employees.
- » Over 84% of those businesses have fewer than 20 employees.
These businesses make up the heart of our local economy, add to the quality of life we all enjoy, and make our community a special place to live.
On the other side of this equation, nearly one in five US businesses fail within the first year, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). New businesses face significant challenges. While resources may be available to support new and existing small businesses, these resources can sometimes operate within silos making access challenging.
Center for Entrepreneurship
South Piedmont Community College’s proposed Center for Entrepreneurship will provide a sustainable business support system, working alongside local and regional resource partners to build a collaborative workspace for entrepreneurs at every stage of their business lifecycle. Whether the entrepreneur is in the idea stage, the business is a startup or an older business building capacity for growth, the Center for Entrepreneurship will offer a one-stop location to access resources, test new ideas, and collaborate with other entrepreneurs.
In addition, the Center for Entrepreneurship will house South Piedmont Community College’s existing Small Business Center, a valued partner of the Union County Chamber. The Union County Chamber works collaboratively with the Small Business Center to meet the needs of our small business community.
Chamber Board of Directors Resolution
The Union County Chamber’s mission is to champion business growth and business prosperity throughout Union County. At the September 16, 2022, meeting of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, the Board unanimously voted to approve a resolution encouraging the voters of Union County to vote “yes” for the $32.7 million bond referendum for South Piedmont Community College. The Chamber believes the Center for Entrepreneurship aligns with the Chamber’s mission by directly benefiting our business community.
One of the three focus areas included in the Union County Chamber’s 2022 Legislative Agenda relates to maintaining a regulatory environment and tax structure that does not hinder business growth, development, and prosperity or place Union County businesses at a competitive disadvantage when competing with businesses outside our county’s borders. Therefore, the resolution also includes language to encourage leadership at Union County and South Piedmont Community College to work together to manage construction projects as efficiently as possible and manage their budgets and the use of this funding in such a way as to minimize the need for future tax increases.
The Union County Chamber encourages Union County voters to vote “yes” on the bond referendum in support of South Piedmont Community College.
Last modified: December 19, 2022
