CLEVELAND, Tenn. — A proposed 10-cent property tax increase for Bradley County, intended to fund a comprehensive overhaul of Lake Forest Middle School, has failed by a narrow margin.
“I, once again, want to give recognition before the public that we need funding for Lake Forest Middle School and other health, education, safety and welfare needs,” said Commissioner Thomas Crye, who sponsored the measure and previously proposed a 7-cent tax hike that failed to even go to a vote in April.
Bradley County’s current tax rate is $1.8721 per $100 of assessed property value. Increasing the rate to 1.9721 would amount to a tax bump of $37.50 a year on a $150,000 home.
On Monday, the Bradley County Commission voted 7-6 for approval of the proposed 10-cent tax hike. At least eight votes were required to approve the proposal.
Commission Chairman Louie Alford and commissioners Robert Rominger, Bill Winters, Terry Caywood, Johnny Mull and Howard Thompson voted in support of Crye’s proposal. Commission Vice Chairman Jeff Yarber and commissioners Dan Rawls, Mark Hall, Mike Hughes, Charlotte Peak and Bobby Goins voted against the measure. Commissioner Milan Blake was absent.
Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis said he did not include a property tax increase in the proposed 2015-2016 budget because bond payments would not come due until the 2016-2017 fiscal year, even if Lake Forest construction begins next spring.
“We don’t have to burden the taxpayers this year with this,” Peak said. “We told them [Bradley County Schools] to go ahead with construction. If anybody knows anything about major construction, it will be another year before they need money to build Lake Forest School.”
Raising taxes is “the easy way,” said Rawls, who expressed concern about adherence to the county’s long-range strategic plan.
That plan calls for no tax increases but relies on projected revenue growth, especially concerning the Wacker Chemie industrial site in northern Bradley County.
“When you deal with growth, you deal with a question mark,” Winters said. “We are just pushing it off for another year and another year.”
Bradley County commissioners and school officials have been discussing a makeover solution for Lake Forest at least since 2011. Cited issues include drainage problems, leaks, energy inefficiency and security for the 75-acre campus.
The Bradley County Commission has committed to funding $12 million toward construction and infrastructural needs associated with replacing nearly a dozen 40-year-old classroom buildings with a central academic facility in 2016-2017 “as funds are available.”
However, Bradley County will have to borrow $18 million, according to a longstanding agreement that requires the county to give $1 to Cleveland City Schools for every $2 it raises for the county school system, based on student enrollment figures.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.