An Open Letter To 3 County Commissioners - And Response

  • Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Commissioner Joe Graham,

 

Although I do not live in your district, Deborah Scott urged me to help get you elected. I watched you run against her and was impressed by what I thought was your shared philosophy toward government. When you lost to her and then ran for County Commission I was excited that we might actually get someone like Deborah Scott on the commission.

Finally, we might have a crack in the "Boss Hog" dictatorial form of county government. Wow, how you have disappointed me....

I could not believe that you fell in behind the "good ol' boys and voted with them almost 100 percent of the time. Now, I am flabbergasted that you are supporting the Kinsey PILOT despite having heard today's arguments by Tim Boyd that gave an indefensible position against this PILOT.

 

First, you should have recused yourself from the vote. Deborah Scott would have. I am left wondering if you even understand the definition of the word recuse. If there was ever a blatant conflict of interest in either city or county government, you get the prize. Ignoring the conflict by making a personal statement pretending that a conflict doesn't exist doesn't make it go away. You are wrong. Being on the board of Rivercity is a conflict of the highest order and if you don't see that than we need a commissioner that has a little more gray matter.

 

Today, I got the impression from you that you genuinely feel that Mr. Kinsey's PILOT really hasn't cost the taxpayers anything. After all, you were very vocal in support of Mr. Haynes' comment "We haven't paid out anything here." After all, we weren't getting the increased revenue now, so what have we lost if we allow him not to pay in the future? Nothing now vs nothing in the future equals even. Mr. Graham, who is going to pay for the police and fire protection for Mr. Kinsey's new tenants? I am. I own commercial property in the Soddy Daisy Industrial Park and I paid 100 percent of my tax bill last year that amounted to $20,000. Today, you gave Jon Kinsey a $36,000 per year gift at my expense. How is Jon Kinsey any better than I am? It will be the tax dollars that I continue to pay (without any way to get a break) that will provide his tenants with services. Why do you support him over me? I am no better or worse than he is. (Except that maybe he has deep pockets for a re-election campaign).

 

If you think that Mr. Kinsey will not build the new apartments unless you give him a tax break, let me educate you in ECON 101: Business comes anywhere there is a demand. If Mr. Kinsey doesn't do it, then someone else will. By Rivercity's own figures, we can't build enough housing downtown to meet demand. Why are you giving it away?

Joe, you have disappointed me more than anyone on the commission (or City Council for that matter). I expected more from you and you have ended up just like all the rest of the politicians. Once you were voted into office, you have forgotten to represent the people and have been influenced by the money. Shame on you.

 

To Commissioner Jim Fields,

 

I am one of your constituents who was at the County Commission meeting this morning. I would like you to know how incredibly disappointed I was with you for voting for Mr. Kinsey's Choo Choo PILOT. I own commercial property in the Soddy Daisy Industrial Park. I am a "small fish" by your standards but I paid $20K in county property taxes last year. I got no breaks. Mr. Kinsey, just for asking, got a $36K per year break.

 

You sat in the very room that I did and listened to Tim Boyd's argument against this PILOT, yet you voted "yes" anyway. Mr. Fields, Economics 101 teaches us that business will come when there is a demand for widgets. We don't have to pay them to come. There is a bountiful opportunity in our city for downtown housing (widgets). This is well documented by Rivercity itself. Why, then, would we "give up" tax dollars that would flow into our coffers when we don't have to? The commissioners (reference Haynes comments) seem to think that we have not "spent" any dollars to give away these PILOTs since we have merely agreed not to collect on something that we already don't have. Who, exactly, will be paying the salaries of the police and firefighters that will respond to calls from Mr. Kinsey's new tenants? I will... My tax dollars will supplement Mr. Kinsey's project that is "tax free" (except for the school portion) while I sweat and slave to pay my full share.

 

You might say that we didn't "spend" anything to get this PILOT. Yes, you did. You spent my tax money to supplement Mr. Kinsey's project. Mr. Kinsey's project will cost the taxpayers money. That is a fact. Please tell me how you can justify using my tax dollars (charged at 100 percent) to supplement Mr. Kinsey. Why is he any better than I am? Do you really think that Mr. Kinsey will not go through with his plans to renovate if you do not give him the PILOT? Of course he will. He, like so many others, has lined up for the "free money" that is afforded him by our elected officials based on past PILOTs. He is taking advantage of a sleeping commission and council.

 

Mr. Fields, it is time that you change your view of the county that you live in and represent. Chattanooga is no longer the "has been" industrial town that it once was. Chattanooga is a vibrant, up-and-coming city that, by many independent national accounts, is a place that many people want to locate to. We have much to offer and we don't have to "give it away". Quite to the contrary, our city and county officials need to realize that we are no longer the Edsel of the country, we are moving toward being the Mercedes. When you give our city away on the backs of those who have been here for decades and have helped to make it what it is today, it is a slap in the face.

 

To Commissioner Tim Boyd,

 

I attended the County Commission meeting this morning and wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your presentation on the Choo Choo PILOT. You were "dead on" in your assessment of the situation and I applaud you for spending (what had to have been) countless hours preparing your argument. You helped to restore my faith in our elected officials if only because you proved that you are actually intelligent and that, at least a few of you, are not in the back pockets of the multi-million-dollar developers. I'm guessing that Mr. Kinsey will not be on the list of donors to your next campaign...

 

I own commercial property in the Soddy Daisy Industrial Park. I am a "small fish" therefore I do not qualify for any type of tax break. I paid $20K last year to the county in property tax and it galls me to see people like ex-mayor Kinsey walk away with a half-million-dollar break while I am left holding the bag. I guess when Mr. Graham said, "We did not give anything away." he had forgotten that he "gave" my tax dollars to the police and firefighters who will have to protect Mr. Kinsey's new tenants. He "gave" my tax dollars to maintain the infrastructure that supports the Choo Choo, ie sewers, streetlights, roads, etc. Did he ever stop to consider that without all of these PILOTs the additional income from these properties might have actually lowered my taxes?

 

Unfortunately, I do not live in your district, In fact, I have never contacted a county commissioner in the 30 years I have lived here but I was so moved by your effort that I felt I had to offer my thanks even though the other commissioners seemed to have suffered temporary deafness while you were speaking. After listening to your arguments anyone who voted "yes" to that PILOT was either not bright enough to understand the situation or was in the pockets of the developers. Either way they failed us.

 

Thank you again for the tremendous effort this morning. Anyone who has put together a presentation like that citing references knows exactly what went into that. I am sorry that the backroom political deals prevailed. Please don't let it stop you from doing the right thing again next time. We are paying attention.

 

Lynn Ashton
Chattanooga 

* * *  

Ms. Ashton,  well written.    

Six of our Hamilton County commissioners think that the rest of us should pay for the municipal services and property taxes for the multi-millionaire developers.  Where is the public benefit in the Choo Choo project?  All I see is a government sanctioned property tax exemption to increase the bottom line profit for insiders. 

April Eidson

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