The Macon County Commissioners approved a 1.5-cent tax increase. The county needs the money to build a new elementary school. The new school will replace one existing school and allow the county to shut down another. The consolidation is estimated to save the county $250,000/year in operation costs. Nothing was said in the Smoky Mountain News report about repealing the tax when the school district began netting returns on its investment.
Bundled into the approved proposal was a ten-year capital improvement plan for two other schools. Improvements would take advantage of recession-level construction bids, $1.8 million in low-interest Chinese loans made available through the federal deficit, and $1.3 million in appropriations from the school system’s fund balance.
In November 2007, the public narrowly voted down a $42 million bond issue for school construction. . . . The bond measure failed by a near miss, but the school board and county commissioners decided to move forward with the construction anyway.
Evidently, the Macon County Commissioners understood what the people didn’t like about the bond referendum was the omission of an opportunity for them to sacrifice more of their personal income on behalf of government.
Commissioner Bobby Kuppers argued passionately that an additional half cent tax increase [totaling 2 cents] could allow the county to renovate the gym and install artificial turf on the football field at Franklin High as well.
