Hardin County TN citizens petition to repeal sales tax hike
Sometimes elected officials get too big for their britches and need to brought back to reality. Below is information on a petition to have the citizens vote to repeal the sales tax hike in Hardin County, TN.
Kingsport, TN has a similar situation with the 1/4 cents regional sales tax that was voted on by the citizens to build the MeadowView Convention Center. The current convention center was paid off in 2007 and part of the regional sales tax money goes into the general fund to spend as they see fit. MeadowView Convention Center operates each year at a loss and about $1.3 million is used from regional sales tax fund to keep it operational. The Kingsport Board of Mayor and Alderman have voted against giving the regional sale tax back to the citizens.
In an effort that could yank the funding from a school construction and consolidation project, Concerned Citizens for Community Schools is filing a petition today with the Hardin County Election Commission for a referendum to repeal a 1997 sales tax increase.
Voters overwhelmingly approved the one cent hike after the Hardin County Board of Education published paid advertisements in The Courier touting it as the solution to the county’s long-term school building needs. The 1997 ads indicated the revenue would be used to renovate and expand the high school, and gradually address building problems at all the schools.
Instead, school and county officials broke ground last week for a program that shutters five schools and funnels their students into two new 550-student elementary schools in or near Savannah.
“The county said if you give us this money, we’ll spend it this way. Ten years later they forgot the promise they made and now they want to spend our money in ways we do not support or agree with,” said Selmer attorney Christopher Donovan, representing Concerned Citizens.
According to the Hardin County Election Commission, about 1,600 signatures of registered Hardin County voters are needed to get the measure on the ballot.
Concerned Citizens says the petition contains the names of 3,000 residents from all parts of the county.
via courier anywhere.com.
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