No WhiteWash!

Update:  Hawkins County commissioners met Monday night to try to finalize next year’s budget, which included a substantial property tax hike.  The Commission voted 16-4, with one abstaining, against the budget.

The Budget Committee will meet Tuesday morning to try to iron out a compromise.  The budget must be finalized and approved by October 1, and commissioners say a property tax hike is still on the table.

via Hawkins County Property Tax Hike Remains Up In The Air | TriCities.

Hawkins County is considering a 22 cent property tax increase which will put a wrinkle into the City of Kingsport plans for funding the King Medical School.  Kingsport has suggested that it would take about a 20 cent tax increase to fund its portion of the medical school.  The problem for Kingsport is that its city limits extend into Hawkins County and Kingsport has a tax rate for its part of Hawkins County. A Hawkins County rate increase of 22 cents and if Kingsport raises its rate 20 cents for the medical school would make the area unattractive for future development and a hardship on Hawkins County citizens.

The Kingsport portion of Hawkins County would have a rank as the 10th most expensive tax rate in Tennessee if the rate is increased 22 cents and Kingsport did not raise the rate.

I am against tax-payer funding of the King College Medical School.  See previous posts

Table 1. below shows the current tax rates for the county and the cities within the county.

Table 2. shows the proposed tax increase for the county (highlighted in yellow) and the 20 cent increase for the part of Hawkins County that is in the City of Kingsport.

If you need help on how to figure your property tax bill go the the following link.  How to Figure Your Property Tax Bill

ROGERSVILLE – Hawkins County commissioners will be considering a $91 million budget and 22-cent property tax hike when they meet Monday.

The property tax increase is estimated to generate slightly more than $1.6 million in additional revenue, with $880,000 of the new money earmarked for the sheriff’s office and jail budgets.

Under the spending plan, the sheriff’s office would add four new deputies and a secretary, with a jail administrative position and 19 additional guards hired to staff the new jail facility.

The commission meets at 7 p.m. in the main courtroom of the Hawkins County Courthouse.

Information about the meeting will be posted Monday night.

via The Rogersville Review – News Story – Budget, tax hike on Hawkins Commission agenda.

Table 1.

County	City		RATES
		County	City	Total
HAWKINS		$2.6100		$2.6100
HAWKINS	BULLS GAP	$2.6100	$0.7237	$3.3337
HAWKINS	CHURCH HILL	$2.6100	$0.8500	$3.4600
HAWKINS	KINGSPORT	$2.6100	$2.2500	$4.8600
HAWKINS	MOUNT CARMEL	$2.6100	$1.3700	$4.8600
HAWKINS	ROGERSVILLE	$2.6100	$1.2700	$3.9800
HAWKINS	SURGOINSVILLE	$2.6100	$1.1500	$3.7600
SULLIVAN	KINGSPORT	$2.5300	$2.3000	$4.8300

Table 2.

County	City		RATES
		County	City	Total
HAWKINS		$2.8300		$2.8300
HAWKINS	BULLS GAP	$2.8300	$0.7237	$3.5537
HAWKINS	CHURCH HILL	$2.8300	$0.8500	$3.6800
HAWKINS	KINGSPORT	$2.8300	$2.4500	$5.2800
HAWKINS	MOUNT CARMEL	$2.8300	$1.3700	$4.2000
HAWKINS	ROGERSVILLE	$2.8300	$1.2700	$4.1000
HAWKINS	SURGOINSVILLE	$2.8300	$1.1500	$3.9800
SULLIVAN	KINGSPORT	$2.5300	$2.3000	$4.8300

There have been some that are stating that the King College Medical School is needed to address the doctor shortage.  I am sure that in the future there will be a shortage of doctors, but for Sullivan County this does not seem to be a problem.

King College’s website has the following statement below that I must take issue with.  It states that if 50 doctors were to stay in the region every year, the economic impact would be $325 million by 2025.

The map below is what King considers to be the region which has 43 counties in 5 different states.  In the Tennessee counties, Sullivan County is not mentioned as a Medically Underserved county, but King College is looking for Kingsport citizens to fork out $40 million and Bristol to give $10 million.  They are also looking for the State of Tennessee to dole out $50 million. I am not against the medical school, but am against a tax increase on the local citizens to pay for the building of the school.  See link, Against Building Taxpayer Funded Denominational Medical School in East TN

King College, in my view, is using some wrong assumptions.  If a current doctor retired and another doctor took his/her place in the region, then you cannot count that as an increase in economic impact.  Also, in the 4 year period between 2021-2025, they are hoping that 200 doctors will stay in the region.  First you must consider that ETSU is supplying about 66 doctors per year and if half of them stayed in the region and the 50 that King hopes would stay in the region would very quickly create an oversupply of doctors.

The results on oversupply of new doctors could be:

• Average earnings are lower than expected earnings based on expected returns to training and other factors
• New physicians have greater problems obtaining employment
• Individual physicians see fewer patients compared to historical norms
• Individual physicians work fewer hours in patient care
• Physicians are more likely to relocate

The Impact of Creating New Doctors

If the Medical School at King was able to ensure that 50 new doctors were to stay in the region every year, the newly created, otherwise non-existent, economic impact would be $65 million per year beginning in 2021.  By 2025, the impact of physicians trained at King will equal $325 million.

Below is the shortage of doctors for the Tennessee Counties in the above King College map.  The data is from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at the following link.  HPSA by State & County

The shortage of primary medical care physicians are highlighted in yellow.  HPSA = Health Professional Shortage Areas

The table below gives data from Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth on the medical doctors per 100,000.  Sullivan County has a rank of 5 and Washington County has a rank of 2.

Northeast Tennessee seems to have a very good concentration of doctors and would not get the economic impact that King College claims should happen.  It appears that other counties and states would get the impact while Tennessee, Kingsport, and Bristol are asked to fund the new medical school.

Medical Doctors Per 100,000 (Rate) – 2007

County	MD’s per 100k	Rank
Davidson	358.8	1
Washington	358.7	2
Madison	309.8	3
Knox	305.6	4
Sullivan	283.7	5
Hamilton	260.9	6
Shelby	214.4	7
Anderson	212.4	8
Putnam	198.9	9
Maury	185.7	10
Williamson	176.4	11
Tennessee	172.9
Hamblen	161.4	12
Coffee	159.2	13
Cumberland	150	14
Blount	131.5	15
Bradley	130.4	16
Rutherford	124.5	17
Greene	124.3	18
Henry	122.4	19
Dyer	114.9	20
McMinn	104.6	21
Dickson	97.2	22
Obion	97	23
Warren	96.8	24
Scott	93.1	25
Sumner	90.5	26
Franklin	90.3	27
Carroll	86.2	28
White	82.9	29
Marion	80.9	30
Montgomery	79.9	31
Wilson	79.1	32
Loudon	78.5	33
DeKalb	75.7	34
Campbell	73.1	35
Overton	72.2	36
Roane	69.1	37
Smith	68.3	38
Decatur	67.5	39
Sevier	64.8	40
Monroe	61.6	41
Unicoi	61.4	42
Lincoln	61.1	43
Claiborne	61	44
Lawrence	60.1	45
Tipton	60	46
Giles	59.5	47
McNairy	59.4	48
Carter	59	49
Weakley	58.8	50
Bedford	57.6	51
Hardeman	56.8	52
Fayette	56.7	53
Jefferson	55.7	54
Gibson	55.4	55
Polk	54.5	56
Robertson	52.9	57
Hardin	52.6	58
Fentress	51.7	59
Perry	51.7	60
Lewis	50.1	61
Houston	48.6	62
Wayne	45.7	63
Henderson	44.8	64
Cannon	44.3	65
Rhea	43.6	66
Humphreys	43.1	67
Cocke	42.5	68
Marshall	41.8	69
Benton	41.5	70
Haywood	40.2	71
Trousdale	38.9	72
Lake	37.7	73
Stewart	37.1	74
Clay	36.9	75
Moore	33.3	76
Hickman	32.6	77
Hawkins	32	78
Hancock	29.2	79
Morgan	29.1	80
Lauderdale	27.9	81
Johnson	27.3	82
Union	25.4	83
Sequatchie	24.3	84
Chester	24.2	85
Bledsoe	23.2	86
Cheatham	22.9	87
Grainger	22.7	88
Grundy	20.3	89
Crockett	19.8	90
Pickett	19.4	91
Jackson	17.4	92
Meigs	16.9	93
Macon	13.8	94
Van Buren	0	95

There have been many elected officials that have added their name in support of the medical college.  I trust that they have taken the time to research/understand for themselves the details of this project and not just listen to a speech from King College.

Tennessee has on its website the information below.  See Sullivan County, Tennessee Selected Statistical Information

See the following link for more information. Health Resources and Services Administration Shortage

The comments of citizens in the Bristol Herald Courier link below might be of interest to you.  Some great comments concerning the King Medical School.

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Sullivan County Commissioners voted on July 20, 2009 to support the King College proposed medical school.

There was one lone commissioner that voted against the resolution  to support the medical school.  Thank you Commissioner John McKamey for using good logic in your “no” vote.  It appears that the remaining commissioners are more concerned about money than they are about understanding the area’s problems.

Sullivan County’s resolution, approved in a 21-1 vote, also included no money for the project.

Commissioner John McKamey of Piney Flats cast the lone dissenting vote. He said the county has a shortage of doctors because it hasn’t done anything to keep the ones who graduate from programs like the Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tenn., from leaving the area.

“Over half the people who graduate [from Quillen] leave the area,” McKamey said as he challenged one of the reasons for supporting the school. “The solution to this thing is to keep the doctors here.”

McKamey said if the county supports the medical school now, it would commit itself to paying $100 million in taxpayer money. He said the $50 million in local taxes and $50 million in state taxes would be too large a burden for the region’s residents to bear.

Read more via Sullivan Commission Supports King College Med School | TriCities.

Sullivan County Commissioners voted on July 20, 2009 to support the King College proposed medical school.

There was one lone commissioner that voted against the resolution  to support the medical school.  Thank you Commissioner John McKamey for using good logic in your “no” vote.  It appears that the remaining commissioners are more concerned about money than they are about understanding the area’s problems.

Sullivan County’s resolution, approved in a 21-1 vote, also included no money for the project.

Commissioner John McKamey of Piney Flats cast the lone dissenting vote. He said the county has a shortage of doctors because it hasn’t done anything to keep the ones who graduate from programs like the Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tenn., from leaving the area.

“Over half the people who graduate [from Quillen] leave the area,” McKamey said as he challenged one of the reasons for supporting the school. “The solution to this thing is to keep the doctors here.”

McKamey said if the county supports the medical school now, it would commit itself to paying $100 million in taxpayer money. He said the $50 million in local taxes and $50 million in state taxes would be too large a burden for the region’s residents to bear.

Read more via Sullivan Commission Supports King College Med School | TriCities.

King College, a denominational college located in Bristol, Tennessee, has been in discussions with Kingsport, Bristol, and Sullivan County officials to build a medical school in Kingsport and Bristol.

The cost for the medical school would be about $150 million.  King is looking for $50 million to come from the cities of Kingsport ($40 million) and Bristol ($10 million), $50 million from the State of Tennessee, and the remaining $50 million from private donations.

At the July 7, 2009, Kingsport, Tennessee Board of Mayor and Alderman, a resolution was passed on first reading to endorse the King College Medical School Initiative, and pledged its commitment to work with Bristol, Sullivan County, and King College to advance the project.

While it does sound like a good project for the area, there will be a major impact on the taxpayers if this is funded via a property tax increase.

Mayor Dennis Phillips has stated that if Kingsport were to fund $40 million for the project, property taxes would have to be raised 25 cents.

Below are tax rates that have been extracted from the Tennessee Property Tax Rates that show the top 20 cities that have the highest tax rates in Tennessee from 406 different tax rates for the different cities and counties.

I have added 25 cents to the tax rates for the two Kingsport line items (Kingsport-Sullivan and Kingsport-Hawkins) in the table below.  Kingsport, with the 25 cents added, would have a rank of 10 and 12 as having the most expensive tax rates in the state.  Bristol has a rank of 14 and I have no knowledge if they would increase property taxes.

Top 20 Cities with the most expensive property tax rates

R a n k	County	City	Total County and City Tax	Property Tax for $150k Home	Household Median Income	% Taxes from Household Income	Median Home Value
1	SHELBY	MEMPHIS	$7.29	$2,734	$32,285	8.47%	$130,695
2	SHELBY	GERMANTOWN	$5.63	$2,111	$113,733	1.86%	$278,800
3	SHELBY	BARTLETT	$5.63	$2,111	$74,091	2.85%	$164,600
4	KNOX	KNOXVILLE	$5.50	$2,063	$32,538	6.34%	$102,300
5	ANDERSON	OAK RIDGE	$5.45	$2,044	$45,474	4.49%	$120,100
6	SHELBY	COLLIERVILLE	$5.37	$2,014	$99,239	2.03%	$255,400
7	HAMILTON	CHATTANOOGA	$5.36	$2,009	$35,913	5.59%	$121,100
8	SHELBY	MILLINGTON	$5.32	$1,995	$43,753	4.56%	$124,144
9	MADISON	HUMBOLDT	$5.30	$1,988	$50,007	3.98%	$181,800
10	HAWKINS	KINGSPORT	$5.11*	$1,916	$34,391	5.57%	$99,900
11	SHELBY	ARLINGTON	$5.09	$1,909	$59,131	3.23%	$233,597
12	SULLIVAN	KINGSPORT	$5.08*	$1,905	$34,391	5.54%	$99,900
13	ROANE	OAK RIDGE	$5.04	$1,890	$45,474	4.16%	$120,100
14	SULLIVAN	BRISTOL	$5.03	$1,886	$36,454	5.17%	$94,000
15	MORGAN	OAKDALE	$4.98	$1,868	$32,174	5.81%	$47,502
16	COFFEE	MANCHESTER	$4.96	$1,860	$36,674	5.07%	$112,275
17	HAMILTON	LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN	$4.95	$1,858	$117,767	1.58%	$515,354
18	HAMILTON	RIDGESIDE	$4.95	$1,858	$103,995	1.79%	$293,387
19	LAUDERDALE	HENNING	$4.95	$1,856	$23,407	7.93%	$65,212
20	HAMILTON	SIGNAL MOUNTAIN	$4.93	$1,848	$78,175	2.36%	$283,948

* The current city and county combined tax rate for Kingsport-Sullivan County is $4.86 and Kingsport-Hawkins County is $4.86.  Twenty-five cents has been added to each of the Kingsport tax rates in the above table.

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The table below again shows the top 20 cites and the effect on the taxpayers’ Household Median Income.  There appears to be a disconnect with those cities having a high tax rate, lower Household Median Income and the percentage of Household Income needed to pay property taxes.

The household median income for Kingsport is $34,391 and the Kingsport majority of Kingsport property owners would pay over 5.5 percent of household income ($150k home) for property taxes if  the 25 cents is added to the Kingsport tax rate.  The Kingsport rank is 6 and 7 and Bristol comes in at a rank of 8 in the table below for the largest percent of household income needed to pay property taxes.

A taxpayer funded medical school would reduce the already low Kingsport household income and would reduce the standard of living for the majority of Kingsport citizens so the city could reap the benefits of increased revenue to spend on other pet projects.

Top 20 Cities that take the highest percentage of income for property taxes

R a n k	County	City	Total County and City Tax	Property Tax for $150k Home	Household Median Income	% Taxes from Household Income	Median Home Value
1	SHELBY	MEMPHIS	$7.29	$2,734	$32,285	8.47%	$130,695
2	LAUDERDALE	HENNING	$4.95	$1,856	$23,407	7.93%	$65,212
3	KNOX	KNOXVILLE	$5.50	$2,063	$32,538	6.34%	$102,300
4	MORGAN	OAKDALE	$4.98	$1,868	$32,174	5.81%	$47,502
5	HAMILTON	CHATTANOOGA	$5.36	$2,009	$35,913	5.59%	$121,100
6	HAWKINS	KINGSPORT	$5.11*	$1,916	$34,391	5.57%	$99,900
7	SULLIVAN	KINGSPORT	$5.08*	$1,905	$34,391	5.54%	$99,900
8	SULLIVAN	BRISTOL	$5.03	$1,886	$36,454	5.17%	$94,000
9	COFFEE	MANCHESTER	$4.96	$1,860	$36,674	5.07%	$112,275
10	SHELBY	MILLINGTON	$5.32	$1,995	$43,753	4.56%	$124,144
11	ANDERSON	OAK RIDGE	$5.45	$2,044	$45,474	4.49%	$120,100
12	ROANE	OAK RIDGE	$5.04	$1,890	$45,474	4.16%	$120,100
13	MADISON	HUMBOLDT	$5.30	$1,988	$50,007	3.98%	$181,800
14	SHELBY	ARLINGTON	$5.09	$1,909	$59,131	3.23%	$233,597
15	SHELBY	BARTLETT	$5.63	$2,111	$74,091	2.85%	$164,600
16	HAMILTON	SIGNAL MOUNTAIN	$4.93	$1,848	$78,175	2.36%	$283,948
17	SHELBY	COLLIERVILLE	$5.37	$2,014	$99,239	2.03%	$255,400
18	SHELBY	GERMANTOWN	$5.63	$2,111	$113,733	1.86%	$278,800
19	HAMILTON	RIDGESIDE	$4.95	$1,858	$103,995	1.79%	$293,387
20	HAMILTON	LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN	$4.95	$1,858	$117,767	1.58%	$515,354

* The current city and county combined tax rate for Kingsport-Sullivan County is $4.86 and Kingsport-Hawkins County is $4.86.  Twenty-five cents has been added to each of the Kingsport tax rates in the above table.

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I have heard some members of the Kingsport BMA express their desire to have a college located in Kingsport.  They should keep in mind that there are very large number of cities that have been successful without having a college and who also have a better standard of living than Kingsport.

College Cities	Household Median Income
Knoxville	$32,538
Bristol	$36,454
Chattanooga	$35,913
Johnson City	$35,746
Memphis	$35,181

The above cities that have a college appear not to have increased the standard of living and have a low household median income.

Below is the household income distribution for Kingsport and the household median income for Kingsport is $34,391.  In the graph below there are 2,636 people who earn less than $10,000  classifying them as living in poverty.

I challenge the elected officials to venture outside of their social and political groups and try to understand the plight of the majority of wage earners in the Kingsport area.  The medical school would bring jobs, but some of these jobs will be imported jobs and the common folks would not have the background or training for these jobs.  Ask what you can do to raise the standard of living (higher income) for Kingsport citizens without imposing a property tax burden.

I feel that the taxpayers should not be taking the risk of funding a medical school when there already is a state funded one in Johnson City.  The need for doctors in this area is questionable since the population is declining in Sullivan County.  If they area has trouble attracting doctors or keeping doctors, then take a hard look at the reason.

Quality of Life issues are important, but a good Standard of Living for local folks just might make the area prosper by increased spending by the majority of citizens.

The bottom line is that the area needs good paying jobs without the additional burden on the taxpayers.

I need to point out that no funding has been voted on so far, but projects such as this grows legs very fast and then its then to late to react.  The intent of this post is to make you aware of the issues so you can make your views know.  Update:  Many elected officials have expressed their support of this project including Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey who may make it a part of his campaign for governor.  Again, I must point out that I am not against the project but am very concerned about it being funded by taxpayers.

Please contact your elected officials and tell them NO to a taxpayer funded denominational medical school.  Click on the email links below and add your comments in your own email program.

email Kingsport BMA -  Mayor Dennis Phillips -  Vice Mayor Ben Mallicote -  Alderman Larry Munsey -  Alderman Jantry Shupe -  Alderwoman Valerie Joh -  Alderman Ken Marsh, Jr. -  Alderman Tom Parham	email Tennessee Legislators for area -  Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey -  Senator Mike Faulk -  Rep. Jason E. Mumpower -  Rep. Tony Shipley -  Rep. Jon Lundberg -  Rep. Dale Ford
email Sullivan County Commissioners See list for -  Commissioners individual emails or -  email Mayor and all Sullivan County Commissioners	email this post to a friend
email Candidates for Tennessee Governor -  Mike McWherter -  Roy Herron -  Ward Cammack -  Zack Wamp -  Bill Haslam -  Ron Ramsey -  Kim McMillan -  Jim Kyle

As we know these notices for public debate do not make the front page, except for here.

From the TimesNews

KINGSPORT — King College on Tuesday laid out its vision of creating a $150 million school of medicine in Kingsport and Bristol by 2012 — with officials saying the economic impact of the endeavor would be transformational for the region.

Read more via East TN Conservative

Perhaps Kingsport should be asking King College for money, rather than King asking Kingsport to increase its tax base to fund the King non-profit school of medicine venture. The enormous positive economic impact, let alone any positive impact, forecast by the out-of-town “expert”, given today’s economy, is quite questionable.

BOSTON — The rats are out in spades this spring in North Allston, a gritty neighborhood wedged between the Charles River and the Massachusetts Turnpike, and residents are blaming Harvard.

Harvard had big plans to expand its campus into Allston with a science complex. But last winter, the university announced that the recession would force it to slow — perhaps even halt — the $1 billion project. Now Allston residents are living with a gaping hole and a bunch of vacant buildings instead of the prospect of a revitalized neighborhood.

Read more via Slump Revives Town-Gown Divide Across U.S. – NYTimes.com.

Below is the Bristol Herald Courier perspective on the Kingsport BMA meeting with King College.  We thank you for your reporting this event from an unbiased viewpoint.

Click on the link below for the full article.

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – A proposed medical school and research center got a warm reception but no financial commitments from city leaders Tuesday.

The city’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen spent nearly two hours digesting a presentation from officials at King College. The Bristol, Tenn., -based private school wants to establish a new medical school to train physicians and promote health research in the Tri-Cities.

The plan, first unveiled in November, has expanded to become a two-campus model. Working in connection with Wellmont Health System, one center would be built near Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport and the other near Bristol Regional Medical Center in Bristol, Tenn., college President Greg Jordan said.

Read more via Bristol Herald Courier

King College laid out their plans for a $150 million school of medicine to be located in Kingsport and Bristol.

They stated that they were looking for $50 million from Kingsport, Bristol, and Sullivan County, $50 million coming from the state of Tennessee and $50 million in private donations.

Mayor Dennis Phillips stated if Kingsport were to fund $40 million for the project, property taxes would have to be raised 25 cents.  He also said that if this project isn’t really sold to the citizens, there won’t be a board member here two years from now.

Could it be that Mayor Phillips out of control spending is getting himself in a tight spot over funding.  What is Mayor Phillips willing to give up or does he want to the fund the college and all of the other planned pet projects that are on the drawing board in the future.

Is Mayor Phillips willing to give up on the MeadowView Convention Center Expansion that will cost about $15 million?  What about the Aquatic Center, is the Mayor and his gang willing to give up on the new tourist pool?  Is the Mayor willing to give up on the expansion of the library and the Justice building?

Mayor Phillips, what about the $34.7 million in new bonds that you recently got funding for?   A little old $34.7 million didn’t stop you then for projects that would not have any or very little return in profits.

The solution to the above money dilemma is very simple!  Let the voters decide on future spending projects by the city.  I am sure that there are many voters that would like to re-visit the MeadowView expansion and stop pouring more money into something that does not make money.

Read the Kingsport Times-News article

Read the Comments for the Kingsport Times-News article

Famous Quotes from the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen

Mayor Dennis Phillips – ‘We need MeadowView to keep from reducing fire, police protection, and reducing trash pick-up to every two weeks.” October 21, 2008

Mayor Dennis Phillips –“We need to annex so we don’t have to raise taxes”  February 5, 2008

Alderman Munsey – “We need to do the MeadowView expansion to keep from raising taxes” September 15, 2008

Alderman Munsey – Debt is neither good or bad,”   June 3, 2008

Vice Mayor Mallicote – “I do not believe all of the doom and gloom about the economy”.  June 3, 2008

Mayor Dennis Phillips – “If the taxpayers wanted the city to cut the spending, then we could collect garbage every other week”  June 3, 2008

Mayor Dennis Phillips – “If there were no money to spend, then you would not need politicians”  October, 2007

Listen to the April 17 WJCW radio interview with Mike McIntire who is seeking a seat on the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Alderman

Click here for interview

A recent Kingsport Times-News article below gives additional information on Mike McIntire.

 

McIntire worked at Eastman Chemical Co. for 34 years in research and development, business and corporate development, and retired in 1999. He then went to work at First Broad Street United Methodist Church in 2001 as church business administrator.

“I feel that I need to continue to serve, contribute and be a part of this community that I very much love. I bring skills and foresight to do that,” McIntire said.

If elected, McIntire said he would like to see the King College School of Medicine locate in Kingsport, possibly in downtown.

“The economy is our most pressing challenge, and I think we need to address that and not pull back,” McIntire said. “We need to keep moving in three ways — find ways to help our businesses, support the search for new businesses, and continue to promote the Move to Kingsport initiative. We need these people to come here to live, to work and who even are retired.”