CLEVELAND, Tenn.-Bradley County and Cleveland officials are waiting to learn how Chancellor Jerri Bryant will decide their dispute over distribution of local sales tax revenue.
Bryant listened to both sides for two hours Thursday, collecting more printed material along the way.
Attorneys Jim Logan, representing the county, and Douglas Johnston, representing the city, said afterward that Bryant has many pending cases before her. They couldn’t guess when she might announce her decision.
Both attorneys reviewed their versions of the city and county relationship over sales taxes since a 1967 joint agreement took effect. Amendments in 1977 and 1982 related to sales tax referendums.
A focal argument for both sides is a 1996 city lawsuit to reinterpret the 1967 agreement. The agreement was upheld by the Tennessee Court of Appeals, although the appeals court later admitted making a mistake.