Staff Photo by John Rawlston/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Hamilton County Mayor Jim CoppingerChattanooga is looking for a public relations or education firm to help get the message across that the sales tax agreement between the city and Hamilton County is set to run out in just a matter of months.
"The city is trying to get someone to help us with some educational aspects," said Councilwoman Deborah Scott, who proposed hiring a firm.
The sales tax agreement between the city and county is set to expire at the beginning of the next fiscal year, which starts July 1. If that happens, county officials have said, about $9 million in sales tax revenue would leave the county and go into the coffers of Chattanooga and surrounding municipalities.
The city placed a legal notice in Sunday's Chattanooga Times Free Press, saying it was seeking a public relations firm. Bids will be opened later.
WHAT'S NEXTCouncilwoman Deborah Scott plans to talk to the City Council today during its regularly scheduled business meeting about the possibility of hiring a public relations or education firm to inform the public about the upcoming city and county sales tax agreement.
Scott said Monday she was unsure of the cost of hiring a person or agency to educate the public.
"I don't know what the expense would be, and I won't know until I see the cost," she said.
She said it did not matter to her whether the firm was public relations or was involved in educational issues. The most important thing, she said, is for someone to be able to explain the sales tax agreement to the public and how much impact letting it lapse would have on budgets.
The sales tax agreement is complicated, and she wants residents to know the costs.
"I've spent months looking at this and analyzing it and, quite frankly, it's complex," she said.
She said she learned lessons last year about not having the public involved during the city's budget planning.
County Mayor Jim Coppinger said Monday there is no way the county will follow in the city's footsteps and hire a PR company.
"I have no intentions of using taxpayer dollars on a public relations firm," Coppinger said.
He said he also would prefer that the sales tax agreement be ironed out in a professional manner and "not in the media."
Council Chairman Manny Rico said he could support the measure and understood the need for informing the public about the tax agreement.
"Maybe some of the city residents don't understand," he said. "Sometimes when we're dealing with this joint funding, it's not 50/50, it's 80/20."
He said he thinks the city needs someone who "really knows how to explain" those kind of situations to the public.
Contact staff writer Cliff Hightower at chightower@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6480. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/CliffHightower.