McMinn County & Athens
Issues & Answers

What a mess the school consolidation plan has become!  The price tag has been a moving target since the idea started in 2014 with a $9 million dollar estimate. At the time of the referendum to raise the sales tax for this expenditure, the price tag had risen to $50 million which was to cover the new grade school building and the remodeling of the middle school.

In August of this year a referendum for a sales tax increase (touted as being for school consolidation) passed by a vote of 871 for and 703 against.  With there being 7,057 registered voters in the city that means that 12% of the city voters set the path to pillage for the rest of us.  What makes it even worse is the County will soon undoubtedly pass a referendum for a sales tax increase in order for the county residents to get their share of the loot, since, after all, they pay the bulk of the sales taxes for the entire county.  So in essence, those 871 city voters were able to push a sales tax increase on the entire county of 50,000.

The August City referendum did not mention passage would mean a property tax increase to go along with the sales tax increase.  But the City is planning to raise the property tax 8 cents in 2021 and another property tax increase of 12 cents in 2026.  On top of that, the City now wants a new motel tax. So the "friendly" city in one year has just paved the way for 4 different tax increases.  Ever heard the term "throw the rascals out?"

Interesting
A. Director of schools announced her retirement the very day the sales tax became effective.
B. The city started collecting the tax (for the construction) long before the first nail was driven.
C. Now we are at $50 million and counting with the new road construction and the middle school makeover still to be funded, cost overruns to be figured, and the touted $700,000 savings per year has melted away at least until 2026. What a mess!