$50 Wheel Tax Trounced - By District Report

By: Pat Hunter

August 10, 2008

Do you remember at the June 2nd Commission meeting when retiring School Director Edward Headlee stood at the podium and asked commissioners to consider wording on the ballot that gave voters a choice of voting themselves a property tax increase or a $50 Wheel Tax? Mayor Doyle Arp compared Headlee's ultimatum to death between a gun or a rope. Headlee did not get his way on the wording of the Wheel Tax Ballot question but Headlee did get his answer.

The $50 Wheel Tax was soundly defeated in every district including District 7 Tellico Village. Loudon County Commissioners and the School Board refused to listen to the concerns of the public. These are terrible economic times when putting food on the table and traveling to work has become a financial hardship for many. TVA will raise electric bills and natural gas rates will increase about the same time that property owners will receive tax bills from the county.

Voters just cleaned house on the Loudon County School Board and the 1st District School Board member won by a slim margin. So far the voters have defeated two tax measures, an increase in sales tax and now the $50 Wheel Tax. This is a wake up call to all county officials, the public is fed up with arrogant officials hell bent on taxing and spending. The defeat of the $50 Wheel Tax just came in the heels of an eight cent property tax increase. Loudon County Commissioners Don Miller (R), Bob Franke (R), Nancy Marcus (R) , Chris Park (R), Chairman Roy Bledsoe (R), David Meers (R) and Harold Duff (R) voted to raise property taxes by 8 cents  The remaining three commissioners, Earlena Maples (D), Wayne Gardin (D) and Shirley Reno (R) voted against the tax increase.

The Budget Committee has talked about increasing property taxes next year, a re-appraisal year. Talk on the street is that voters are fed up with the tax and spend officials and elections are but two short years away.

 

Wheel Tax Breakdown

The following information was compiled from the un-official election results. The breakdown is by district and precinct.

Loudon District 1 Early Voting Percentage Election Percentage Total Percentage

LDN - Loudon District 1

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 

71

 

 18.83% 45 15.36% 116 17.31%
AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

306

81.17%

248

84.64% 554 82.69%
Cast Votes:

377

97.67% 293  98.65% 670 98.10%

LNO Loudon - District 1

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

46 

22.44% 28 12.84% 74 17.49%

AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

159

77.56% 190 87.16% 349 82.51%
Cast Votes:

205

98.56% 218 99.54% 423 99.06%
TOTAL District 1 FOR        

190

  
TOTAL District 1 AGAINST         903  

 

Lenoir City - District 2 Early Voting Percentage Election Percentage Total Percentage

LNC Lenoir  City Hall

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 43 11.53% 45  11.06%  88 11.28%

AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 330 88.47% 362 88.94% 692 88.72%
Cast Votes: 373 98.42%  407 98.07% 780 98.24%

LCO Lenoir City  Memorial Bldg.

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

  

14

 

14.00%

  

5

 

4.46%

 

19

 

8.96%

AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 86 86.00% 107 95.54% 193 91.04%
Cast Votes: 100 99.01% 112 99.12% 212 99.07%
TOTAL District 2 FOR         107  
TOTAL District 2 AGAINST         885  

 

 

Greenback - District 3 Early Voting Percentage Election Percentage Total Percentage

GBK - Community Center

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 13 32.50%  65 20.90%  78 22.22%

AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 27  67.50% 246 79.10% 273 77.78%
Cast Votes:  40  95.24% 311 98.11%  351 97.77%

GDL - Glendale Community CTR

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 15 20.55%  25 14.29% 40 16.13%

AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

  58 79.45% 150 85.71% 208 83.87%
Cast Votes: 73 98.65% 175   98.31% 248 98.41%
TOTAL District 3 FOR         118  
TOTAL District 3 AGAINST         481  

 

   

Philadelphia - District 4 Early Voting Percentage Election Percentage Total Percentage

PHI - Philadelphia School

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 20 31.75% 20 11.11% 40 16.46%

AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 43  68.25% 160 88.89%  203 83.54%
Cast Votes: 63 100.00% 180 98.90% 243 99.18%
Precinct LUT - Luttrell

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

  2  11.76% 6 13.04%  8 12.70%

AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 15 88.24% 40 86.96% 55 87.30%
Cast Votes: 17 100.00% 46   

100.00%

 

  

63

 

  

100.00%

 
Precinct DVS - Davis

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 8 21.62%  8 10.67% 16 14.29%

AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 29 78.38%  67 89.33% 96 85.71%
Cast Votes: 37 100.00% 75  100.00% 112 100.00%
TOTAL District 4 FOR         64  
TOTAL District 4 AGAINST         354  

 

BRW - Browder District 5

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 Early Voting

22            

Percentage

16.30%

 Election

11

Percentage

4.62%

 Total

33

Percentage

8.85%
AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX 113 83.70% 227 95.38% 340 91.15%
Cast Votes:   

135

100.00%

238

99.58%

 373

99.73%
ETN - Eaton

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 

94

  

16.29%

  

80

 

13.29%

  

174

 

14.76%
AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

483

83.71% 522  86.71% 1,005 85.24%
Cast Votes:

577

 98.63% 602 98.85% 1,179 98.74%
TOTAL District 5 FOR         207  
TOTAL District 5 AGAINST         1,345  

 

Highland Park - District 6 Early Voting Percentage Election Percentage Total Percentage

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 31 13.14%  36 13.33% 67 13.24%

AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 205 86.86% 234 86.67% 439 86.76%
Cast Votes: 236 100.00% 270 98.90% 506 99.41%
TOTAL District 6 FOR         67  
TOTAL District 6 AGAINST         439  

 

 

 

Tellico Village - District 7 Early Voting Percentage Election Percentage Total Percentage

TVE - Tellico Village

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 186 53.45% 198 42.04% 384 46.89%

AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 162 46.55% 273 57.96% 435 53.11%
Cast Votes: 348  99.15% 471 98.54% 819 98.79%

TVG - Tellico Village

FOR MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 48 29.09% 41 35.96% 89 31.90%

AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE PRIVILEGE TAX

 117 70.91% 73  64.04% 190  68.10%
Cast Votes: 165    100.00% 114 99.13% 279 99.64%
TOTAL District 7 FOR         473  
TOTAL District 7 AGAINST         625  

 

SOURCES: Unofficial Loudon County Election Results

Tennessee State Comptroller http://www.comptroller.state.tn.us/lg/map/lgloud.htm

Loudon County - Legend and population statistics

http://www.comptroller.state.tn.us/lg/map/loudon/pop1.htm

 

Click to view Loudon County Commission District and Precinct Map

 

District    

Precinct    

Location                                         

1

LDN

Loudon High
1039 Mulberry St.,Loudon

1

LNO

Loudon High
1039 Mulberry St., Loudon

2

LNC

Memorial Building
103 B St., Lenoir City

2

LCO

Memorial Building
103 B St., Lenoir City

3

GDL

Glendale Comm. Center
HWY. 95, Lenoir City

3

GBK

Greenback Comm. Center
6889 Morganton Rd., Greenback

4

DVS

Piney Ruritan
2890 Davis Ferry Rd., Loudon

4

PHI

Philadelphia School
300 Spring St., Philadelphia

4

LUT

Fenders Comm. Center
2529 Oakland Rd., Philadelphia

5

ETN

N. Middle School
423 Hickory Creek Rd., Lenoir City

5

BRW


4380 Harrison Rd., Lenoir City

6

HPK

Highland Park School
4404 Hwy. 11 E., Lenoir City

7

TVE

Christian Life Center
130 Chota Ctr., Tellico Village

7

TVG

Christian Life Center
130 Chota Ctr., Tellico Village

 

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08-10-2008