Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Rick Smith has proposed a 40-cent property tax increase that he probably will not get.
Neither Hamilton County commissioners nor homeowners are likely to be excited about tacking on, say, an additional $150 a year in taxes on a $150,000 house for higher teacher salaries and art and foreign language classes in elementary schools.
On the surface, Smith's arguments make sense. The county last raised property taxes for schools 10 years ago. Good teachers are worth their weight in gold. Art classes have been shown to bring out the imagination in students. And foreign language classes prepare students for an increasingly global economy.
But the amount of Smith's proposal, which would have to be approved by the Hamilton County Board of Education and the Hamilton County Commission, seems to have surprised some members.
"At this point, there's no support for a property tax anywhere near that size," said Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger.
"There will be no tax increase this year from this commissioner," County Commissioner Joe Graham of District 6 said.
"None for me, thanks," said school board member Rhonda Thurman of District 1.
Of course, those members do not a majority make, and Smith clearly thinks he can persuade the public that the school district needs the increase.
He might say the county wants to attract the very best teachers, so it needs to pay them a little more than the state offers. But Gov. Bill Haslam already has proposed nearly $100 million in his 2015-2016 budget for teacher raises up to 4 percent, so that may blunt one of the superintendent's arguments.
On the other hand, the governor proposed an increase last year, and a revenue shortfall caused him to pull it back.
Smith easily could make the case for the inclusion of elementary art and foreign language classes, but parents and others who are familiar with school facilities may feel there are more long-standing infrastructure problems that need to be taken care of first.
And county commissioners, if not school board members, are likely to insist the superintendent look at cuts in ineffective or extraneous programming before adding additional programming.
So, if nothing else, Smith may be planting seeds.
If he's turned down this year, will it increase pressure on members in both bodies to give him what he wants next year? If he asks for a 40-cent raise, would he accept a 25-cent increase this year, or next year? Would an increase, wrapped in the desire for, say, a new Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts building, be more palatable? Would County Mayor Jim Coppinger back a tax increase that provided money for other county needs as well?
Hamilton County residents are no different from people elsewhere. They want the best schools but want to be sure if they pay more for them that the schools will actually be better.
Smith has thrown down the gauntlet. Now he'll have to make his case.