No WhiteWash!

Kingsport Public Relations Department (Kingsport Times-News) has reported that the

Rock Springs suits could affect cost of sewer taps (stick) and then a few days later ask

Rock Springs residents to request annexation.  (carrot)

Now the PR department reports that they are proposing two new projects to the Capital Improvement Plan this year for the creation of a city park in the Rock Springs community ($225,000),(carrot)  and a road safety audit of Rock Springs Road ($125,000). (carrot)

I would like to inform Kingsport that the Rock Springs area has a park called Rock Springs Community Park.  (it’s the park you are running your sewer line through)

What was the outcome of the $50,000 that was budgeted for this year for the safety audit of Rock Springs Rd?   Is it going to take $175,000 to determine that the road is unsafe?  See post Rock Springs Road in Kingsport very Dangerous.

Kingsport states that it is ready to begin building the new fire department on Rock Springs Rd. (carrot)

Now, here is the latest poop scoop on sewer lines.   Kingsport has had discussions about raising the sewer tap fee from $2,250 to $2,950 for county residents.  They are proposing to offer a discount of $1,000 if residents agree to connect within 30 days.  Anytime after 30 days, the cost would be $2,950.  (big stick)  Residents will be forced by law to pay the tap fee.

There are many retires and working families that this sewer tap fee would be a huge burden.  See post Give Grandpa and Grandma a Job to pay Taxes

Kingsport is concerned that it has to run about one mile of sewer pipe through farm lands to get to the new Edinburgh development and only will get a small trickle of stinky sewage.

Oh well, I guess Kingsport does not care about what the the future city voters in the county feel about annexations.  The citizens of Sullivan County should take a hard look at the consolidated city-county form of government.

What a Mess in Kingsport, Tennessee!

The meeting minutes from the Kingsport Board of Mayors and Alderman are not being recorded correctly.  My post “Kingsport, Tennessee votes to buy property based on two maybes“  discusses an item that was voted on, yet there is no mention of this discussion and vote in the February 19, 2008 meeting minutes.

It appears that Kingsport is including in the meeting minutes what they want the public to hear.  If the response from a citizen is not to their liking, then it may not make it in the meeting minutes.

Mr. Tim Johnson of 1526 Nall Street, Kingsport, brought photos to show Board members the condition of properties around his Highland area neighborhood.  Mr. Johnson stated that he and several others have attempted, in vain, to address these issues with one particular landlord who owns 11 to 12 area properties.  He pleaded with the BMA to consider taking serious action in assisting property owners in dealing with and correcting this situation.

The second point that Tim Johnson above raised was not mentioned in the minutes.  I wrote in the post “What a Mess in Kingsport, Tennessee!” that Mr Johnson who is a city resident stated that if the county residents do not want to be annexed, then the city should not force annexation on them.

The meeting minutes below does not reflect the entire point the Mr Grills made.  Comments such as his dissatisfaction with Kingsport annexing his property.

Mr. John Grills, 2272 Rock Springs Road, Kingsport, lives in the Rock Springs South #5 (North Side) Annexation Area, for which the public hearing was held on January 15, 2008 and inquired whether his property was now in the City.  City Manager Campbell replied that the second reading on this area passed and would be effective 30 days after passage, if no challenge was made.

Mr. Grills also inquired about the boundaries and purpose of the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and asked where he could obtain a map.  Alderman Marsh explained that the UGB was designed to set a boundary within which, by 2020, the City is allowed to stretch the City’s corporate boundary with future annexation, allowing the City to provide its services to those properties which, he added, has, historically, enhanced the value.  City Manager Campbell referred Mr. Grills to City Planner Alan Webb who could provide him with a UGB map.

It is also noted that the dollar amounts for the two grants that the city is applying for enhancements to walking paths and other things.  There were two grants of which there is no mention of the $525,000 in matching money that Kingsport would have to fund.  Why is this?

The City of Kingsport needs to tell the full story, not what they want us to hear.

Metropolitan Government can be also be called consolidated city-county form of government.  A  consolidated city-county is a city and county that have been merged into one jurisdiction. As such, it is simultaneously a city, which is a municipal corporation; and a county, which is an administrative division of a state. This is the opposite of an independent city, which is a city that is not located within the boundaries of any county, but is separate from the neighboring county; however, an independent city can also result from the consolidation of a city and a county. The highest concentration of large consolidated governments in the United States is in the lower midwest and upper south, where Indianapolis, Indiana; Nashville, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Kansas City, Kansas; and Lexington, Kentucky are located.An economic development edge: Having a consolidated government allows the community to react quickly to proposed economic development prospects.

Consolidation could bring the following;

• Economies of scale: Combined purchasing power and efficiency can result in taxpayer savings. For example, public works operations can share machinery, personnel and equipment. Consolidated law enforcement departments may find themselves with the ability to fund additional patrols.
• Less duplication: Cities and counties many times fund similar operations, such as road building, fire protection and solid waste services. With consolidated government, one office would replace two or more.
• Government accountability: One unified government is easier for voters to understand than several local jurisdictions. This increased visibility may better focus public attention on governmental operations.
• Harmony: One government will eliminate some discord, such as annexation disputes, and local planning and zoning issues may be more readily resolved

Check out the following links below for more information.

Consolidated City-County is an excellent source of information that explains the consolidated-city concept and what cities/counties have this form of government.

Why Our Communities Need Consolidation.   This booklet will explain how you as a voter, have the power to adopt a Consolidation plan for our communities.  You also will learn how to circumvent barriers to Consolidation, including certain bureaucrats, elected officials, and others who may wish to maintain the status quo.

Check out the following link concerning the Louisville/Jefferson County KY Merger and  Louisville, KY – So Far, A Major Success.

A Comparative Analysis of City/County Consolidations.  An excellent study – a must read.  Kingsport is mentioned in the report.

There is more trouble in Bluff City, Tennessee.

Bluff City got attention as the city that wants to charge a hotel tax, but has no hotels.  And then the mayor resigns, claiming the aldermen wanted hem out.  Now, we learn that there is a recall effort underway to oust three sitting alderman.

Kingsport, Tennessee’s City Manager, John Campbell, stated last night at the BMA meeting that Tennessee is one of a few states that have aggressive annexation polices.  This was part of the response given to a gentleman that lived within the city when he basically told the city if the county residents did not want to be annexed, then they should not force annexation on them.  There are many city residents that share this opinion as well I am sure county residents also.

I would like to state that I do not have a dog in this hunt.  That is, I am not involved in the many lawsuits that the city have facing them or in an area that is being annexed.  I am just a private citizen who is very concerned about what is happening in the area.  Neighbors are against neighbors, citizens having many ill feelings towards the city, including both Kingsport citizens and county citizens.

While Tennessee’s Public Chapter 1101 may give cities the right to annex, it does not consider what some view as the ethical thing to do.  Kingsport had a few choices, one was to put it up for a referendum and let the voters decide, and the other was to let the Board of Mayors and Alderman decide.  The BMA chose the latter and it did not matter how much county residents felt about it, they voted to annex against the wishes of county residents. Kingsport should look at the organizational chart that shows the pecking order.  The citizens/voters are the one that hired the BMA and hence should listen to their requests.

At the January 14, 2008, there was a request from the Citizen for Home Rule.  Listed below is a portion of the minutes from that meeting.  Kingsport chose not to do the referendum.

PUBLIC COMMENT. Mr. John Emison, 9212 Topoco Drive in Knoxville, stated he is president of Citizens for Home Rule, has filed the suits that block the Rock Springs annexations, and will be filing other lawsuits on behalf of citizens as annexations are passed. Mr. Emison urged the BMA to undo annexations already passed and proposed they look at annexation by referendum only. He stated that he is attending this work session at the invitation and in support of the Warrior Path annexation residents.”

The highhanded attitude of Kingsport is this is how it is going to be and we don’t care how you feel about it.. One day they propose extortion and the next day a referendum.  The next election I think you will see many county residents coming forward to help candidates for the Board of Mayors and Alderman financially and helping them campaign.

Kingsport has many lawsuits that have been filed because of annexation.  Now, Sullivan County may sue city over Fall Creek annexation.  Kingsport’s response was to say that a suit by the county will hurt both city and county.  I think county residents are thankful that Sullivan County has taken an interest in what is happening concerning annexation with county residents.  A single Metropolitan Government for the entire county would help solve some of these problems

The citizens of Tennessee do have another way to express their opinions concerning Tennessee’s annexation policy (Public Chapter 1101).  They can let their elected officials in Nashville know how they feel about the annexation policy.

Needless to say, Kingsport, Sullivan County, and the State of Tennessee are getting the kind of attention that I don’t think they want.  In very short period of time, this blog has been read by people locally and nationally.   These viewers could be potential retirees, workers, or firms that might be thinking of relocating to the East Tennessee area.

Whew….what a mess!

Below are some reasons for forming a Metropolitan Government in Sullivan County, Tennessee.

Both proponents and opponents of local government consolidation brandish a substantial list of reasons to support their positions. Yet, experts agree that consolidation has the potential to offer at least the following advantages.

• An economic development edge: Having a consolidated government allows the community to react quickly to proposed economic development prospects. Instead of having to deal with two or more governments, prospective businesses have one point of contact. Business and industrial prospects like the idea of licensing and inspection offices under the authority of one government. There’s less red tape. Also, cooperative countywide planning and zoning is an economic development plus. When Augusta and Richmond County in Georgia debated consolidation in 1995, one consolidation proponent said the merger would result in 10,000 new jobs in five years. Voters of those jurisdictions overwhelmingly endorsed the plan.
• Economies of scale: Combined purchasing power and efficiency can result in taxpayer savings. For example, public works operations can share machinery, personnel and equipment. Consolidated law enforcement departments may find themselves with the ability to fund additional patrols. A small city may find itself better able to offer services that weren’t cost-effective before.
• Less duplication: Cities and counties many times fund similar operations, such as road building, fire protection and solid waste services. With consolidated government, one office would replace two or more.
• Government accountability: One unified government is easier for voters to understand than several local jurisdictions. This increased visibility may better focus public attention on governmental operations.
• Harmony: One government will eliminate some discord, such as annexation disputes, and local planning and zoning issues may be more readily resolved.  more

It is interesting to note the city of Kingsport change in direction by asking Rock Springs residents to request annexation.  The city could have avoided all the headaches by putting the annexation issue for the voters to decide by referendum in the first place.  The way the city has tried to force annexation has generated a lot of hard feelings with residents all over the area.  To that point as I understand it, there are many residents in the Rock Springs area that go to Johnson City to do their shopping.

“One thing we’ve learned is we’ve had to be able to adjust at a particular time. What wasn’t anticipated was we would have an attorney in Knoxville suing everyone in the state over annexation, whether he knew anything about the annexation or not,” Campbell said. “We’ve got some areas that probably have some people who would like to be in. There’s a lot of interest in some people wanting to be on the sewer line, and because of what we’ve done, it’s developed a lot of interest from developers.

See the following link for more; Kingsport asks Rock Springs residents to request annexation

The Times-News article at first glance portrays a dynamic picture of growth for the past year for the City of Kingsport.

Mike Freeman, building official stated;

“We have hundreds of folks moving into the Kingsport area each year, but only a limited amount of developable land inside the city limits,” Freeman said. “That’s why annexation is critical, to bring more developable land inside the city for residential construction.”

You can have residential construction in the county, but the city want to annex so they can get the tax dollars.

City Manager John Campbell stated;

“Just this past seven days, there have been four different developers in my office who are keenly interested in looking for land to build on in Kingsport,” Campbell said. “We need to be able to ensure city services are available at developable properties to make these potential projects become reality.”

This sound like the city is in the real estate business. Are the county residents going to have more annexations?

What the Times-News doesn’t mention is the incentives that the city gives. At the last BMA meeting it was mentioned that Food City was given an incentive. Eastman was give a big incentive by the BMA. (see Unbelievable Corporate Welfare in Kingsport). Also, it does not include the Developer Materials Agreements that the city has with developers. The city will give free hydrants, manholes, and piping free of charge if the developer builds within the city. Of course, the city would have to annex first for this to happen.

While it appears in the article that the city will be getting a lot of tax dollars right away, but a lot of this is more long term. That is the tax dollars will be coming later on depending on the incentive. The $12 million Higher Education Center will not be generating taxes since I don’t think the city will tax itself.

The point to all of the above is the City of Kingsport needs to watch it’s spending and it is even more important now the way the economy is.

I am sure that Kingsport’s threat of increased sewer taps fees because of the Rock Springs suits will not be taken kindly. See Rock Springs suits could affect cost of sewer taps. Let’s see, the city will require a higher tap fee for county property owners ($1,950 vs. $2,250), no finance options for county residents, cost of plumber to hook up from the sewer tap to the house, possible higher tap fees because of lawsuits, water and sewer rate increases, and almost doubling the property tax bill.

Kingsport’s 2007-2008 budget for water rates has a rate increase of 4% for county residents and a projected rate increase of 2.5% for each year up to 2011-2012. According to the budget the city property owners would not get an rate increase.

Also, wastewater rates in the 2007-2008 budget shows a rate increase of 3% for city and 8% for county. Projected rate increases for county is 7% for 2008-2009 and 6% thereafter to 2001-2012.

Also, check out other cities rates for water and sewer as compared to Kingsport’s and draw your own conclusions. Water Comparison Sewer Comparison

I can see why the county residents love the city.

Sullivan County schools have space for 21,155 students, but the usage rate is 56.8 percent.  The school system in Sullivan is under utilized and not very efficient and I sure it results in higher costs to maintain.  See the following for more information.