After much discussion, the Bradley County Commission passed a resolution to request that Tennessee state legislators increase the hotel/motel tax to seven percent in Bradley County.
If the request is accepted in Nashville, the extra money will be used to fund Lake Forest Middle School.
While commissioner Dan Rawls made a substitute motion to request an eight-percent tax instead, Commissioner Charlotte Peak said, "I fought for the seven percent so there would at least be a compromise on this."
She said she did not want the burden of paying for the school to be placed solely on hotel owners and users.
Commissioner Rawls said, "I think the eight percent is a reasonable amount.
It puts us lower than Chattanooga." He also said that a user tax such like the hotel tax would be more fair than a forced tax, such as a property tax.
However, the substitute motion failed in a four to nine vote. Commissioner Bill Winters recused himself.
The original motion passed immediately after.
Commissioner Milan Blake said, "I'm putting together the best possible proposal that I can...This is a local property tax and we represent local constituents."