THE HUNTER REPORT                                        

thehunterreport.com

TAX AND SPEND, SPEND, SPEND... 

By: PAT HUNTER

The cost of fuel is quickly inching to the $4.00 per gallon mark while prices on groceries and other goods increase steadily.

While other county governments and school systems tighten their belts and make cuts, Loudon County contemplates:

• a mammoth school building program Phase 1, and now talk of Phase 2,

• golden parachute retirement plans,

• wage and salary increases,

• 91 percent taxpayer funded/ 9 percent county employee contribution health insurance plan,

• a request for more pennies for the highway dept. who submitted a deficit budget, not once but twice - his solution more pennies for him to spend, [Note: the value of a penny is calculated on the collection rate (e.g. 97%, 98%, etc.) and by budget (e.g.  #101 county operating, #141 school operating, #156 rural fund debt etc. A penny's value on the tax dollar may vary, for example at 97% e.g. budget 101- $165,587; budget 141 -$112,566; budget 156 - $144,825...  

• and more spending...

Local government's solution - a big tax hike after property reappraisals in a depressed economy.

The budget process is underway and the county commission budget committee met in April and will continue through the month of May.

Here's the schedule for the commission budget committee meetings:

The budget committee is required by law to hold a public meeting to accept public input on the budget proposal before the budget is finalized and sent to commission for their approval but this law has not been followed.

CLICK TO VIEW  BUDGET PROPOSAL - PUBLIC COMMENT- COMMITTEE  REVISIONS - T.C.A.§5-12-108 ... (2)  The publication shall also contain a notice of a public hearing to be conducted by the budget committee at which any citizen of the county shall have the right to appear and state such citizen's views on the budget.  (3)  Such public hearing shall be held by the budget committee not later than ten (10) days prior to the beginning of the fiscal year.

Will the budget committees trim the fat, or spend like the federal government, with no end in sight? 

Get involved; attend meetings and hear all the details of these proposed budgets that the newspaper isn't willing to print.

Send an email to commissioners and school board, or write a letter to the editor and share your opinion and concerns.

All the information is at your finger tips. If your friends or neighbors don't have computers, print out the information so they may contact their elected officials. 

Loudon County government operates under the 1957 Budget Law. Here are some laws that apply to our county and budget process. Did you know...

CLICK TO VIEW  FISCAL YEAR - T.C.A.§ 5-12-105 ... a)  There is hereby created a fiscal year for the counties and for each office, department, institution, activity and agency thereof, which fiscal year shall begin on July 1 of each year and shall end on June 30 next following.

Loudon County & Municipalities Websites

How to contact your elected officials:

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Sheriff's Merit Services Board:

John R. Johnson, Term expires - Aug. 31. 2011

Commissioner Don Miller, Term expires - Aug. 31. 2012

Commissioner David Meers, Term expires - Aug. 31. 2013

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Contact List 2011 Directory

How to contact your elected officials:

Loudon Board of Education School Board

Click picture to enlarge

District 1 - Loudon

Scott Newman  - Board Chairman

Budget Committee member                                

102 Huffs Ferry Rd.

Loudon, TN 37774

Phone: 458-1479

Email: slenewman@charter.net

Profession: Loudon City Police Dept. -City of Loudon

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District 1 - Loudon, Seat 

Bill Marcus 

Budget Committee member                                           

300 Edwards School Rd.

Loudon, TN 37774

Phone: 458-8581

E-mail:  marcusb@loudoncounty.org

Profession: Pharmacist with Bi-Lo (formerly Red Food)

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District 2 – Lenoir City, Seat

Bobby Johnson, JR. 

402 C St.

Lenoir City, TN 37771

Phone: 988-8008

E-mail: johnsonb@loudoncounty.org

Profession: Lenoir City Recreation Dept. - City of Lenoir City

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District 2 Lenoir City, Seat

William Jenkins

120 Hidden Valley Rd., Lenoir City, TN 37771

Phone: UNLISTED

E-mail: jenkinsw@loudoncounty.org

Profession: Lenoir City Recreation Dept. - City of Lenoir City

Phone: 986-1223 - Work phone number

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District - 3 Greenback

Lisa Russell 

Budget Committee Chair         

6670 Morganton Rd.

Greenback, Tn  37742                                         

Phone: 865-229-2045

E-mail:  LRussell917@aol.com

Profession: Part-time Bookkeeper

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District 4 - Philadelphia

Leroy Tate   

2072 Circle Drive

Loudon, TN 37774

Phone: 458-4834

EMAIL: ltate43@aol.com

Profession: Retired employee Tate & Lyle Manufacturing

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District 5 - Eaton - Harrison Rd. area

Van Shaver 

Budget Committee member 

568 Ford Road

Lenoir City, Tn 37772                        

Phone: 865-986-6984

E-mail:  SarahlCcom@aol.com

Profession: Self-employed

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District 5 - Eaton - Harrison Rd. area

Gary Ubben - Vice Chairman BOE

13536 Virture Road

Lenoir City, Tn 37772

E-mail:  ubbeng@loudoncounty.org

Phone: 865-988-8882

Cell: 865-850-7772

Profession: Retired UT Professor

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District - 6 Highland Park

Mayor Estelle Herron (l) Rick Best (r)

Rick Best

Budget Committee member  

3889 Leward Way

Lenoir City, TN 37772

Phone:  865-986-0205

E-mail: bestr@loudoncounty.org

Profession: Retired Lenoir City Band Director

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District – 7 Tellico Village & Piney

Craig Simon 

Budget Committee member 

369 Cheestana Way

Loudon, Tn  37774                                   

Phone: 865-458-6626

E-mail: simonc@loudoncounty.org

Profession: Engineer

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• There are ten school board members and board members serve a four (4) year term.

• School board meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday, 7:00 PM Courthouse Annex, Basement meeting room.

• School board workshop meetings are held on the 1st Thursday of each month at the LCTC Loudon County Tech Center, 4380 Harrison Rd., Lenoir City. The LCTC is at the location of the former Vocational school, which is located 1 mile from the Lenoir City High School (old 95/Harrison Rd.)

• To be notified of all future meetings and agendas such as School Board Budget Committee meetings, please contact administrative assistant Joan Lovelace at E-mail: lovelacej@loudoncounty.org so she may add your name to the email thread. Check the local News Herald classified ad for schedule of meetings or school website.

School Board Administration

Wayne Honeycutt – School Director

Phone: 1. 865.458.5411 ext # 1001

Loudon County Board of Education

County Office Building - BOE Central Office

100 River Rd.,

Loudon, TN 37774 

E-mail: honeycuttw@loudoncounty.org

Jason Vance - Assistant School Director

Phone: 1.865.458-5411 ext # 1004

Loudon County Board of Education

County Office Building - BOE Central Office

100 River Rd.,

Loudon, TN 37774 

E-mail: vancej@loudoncounty.org

Joan Lovelace – Administrative Assistant

Phone: 1.865.458-5411  #1000

Loudon County Board of Education

County Office Building - BOE Central Office

100 River Rd.,

Loudon, TN 37774

E-mail: lovelacej@loudoncounty.org

Dawn Cox - Transportation Director

Loudon County Board of Education

County Office Building

BOE Central Office

100 River Rd., Loudon, TN 37774

Phone: 1.865.458-5411 ext # 1014

E-mail: coxd@loudoncounty.org

Loudon County School Website http://www.loudoncounty.org/

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05-04-2011