Commission votes to increase wheel tax

LAWRENCE COUNTY, TENN. - Lawrence County Commissioner Chris Jackson said Tuesday's decision to move forward with a wheel tax increase for the county would benefit the children.

"I'm proud that the county commission stepped up and acted on behalf of the children of Lawrence County," Jackson said.

County officials said the wheel tax would generate $880,000 annually, which would be used to retire a $10 million bond issue for county school

improvements.

Jackson said the building program would move hundreds of elementary students out of "dilapidated and unsafe portable classrooms."

"This move was long overdo as children and teachers have already contracted illnesses from mold present in the portables, but the commission showed leadership by addressing the problem now instead of putting it off even longer, which would have cost the taxpayers more in the long run," Jackson said.

The resolution was adopted by a vote of 12-3, with one abstention.

Lawrence County Executive Paul Rosson said the funding will enable the county to replace 21 portable classrooms at South Lawrence Elementary in Lawrenceburg, and New Prospect Elementary, in Loretto.

"Some of these portable classrooms are 24 years old; they're falling apart," Rosson said. "And there are all sorts of health and quality issues that go with these structures."

County officials said at present, license plates costs county residents $49, with $2 going to the clerk's office for a collection fee, $22 going to the state and the county receiving a $25 wheel tax fee.

With the increase, residents would be paying $74 for license plates.

Rosson said the wheel tax increase would go into effect Sept. 1 if there is no opposition from the public. According to Tennessee Law, residents have 30 days to develop a petition to call for a referendum on the issue.

To call for a referendum, the petition must have signatures from 10 percent of the ballots cast in the last governor's election, "which would be about 350 signatures," said Lawrence County Election Commissioner June Davis.

She said if there is a referendum, it would be on the November ballot.

"It's not something we wanted to do, but something we had to do for education," Rosson said.

He said a lot of Tennessee counties are going to wheel tax increases to pay for education and building improvements. He said some Tennessee counties have wheel taxes as high as $65.

Jackson said he didn't view the vote as something for tax increase. "None of us want to raise taxes, but at some point you need to be honest with the people and do the right thing, and that is what we did," he said.

Rosson said he would like to see the school building program begin by early 2009.

"This problem didn't happen overnight, and it may not be changed overnight, but we have to put forth a plan to bring forth change and that's what the wheel tax will allow us to do," Rosson said.

"This move once again shows that Lawrence County will no longer settle for the status quo," Jackson said. "We're making decisions based not on political expediency or what's perceived to be popular, but what's best for the future of our county. And I can think of nothing more important than education and our

children."

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.