County Mayor Weston Wamp said Monday that "it was disappointing to see the most left-wing county commissioner use a commission meeting to mislead senior citizens about property taxes."
Commissioner David Sharpe last Wednesday said he was going to work with the county attorney on beefing up tax help for seniors.
County Mayor Wamp said, "The state’s County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) has since confirmed that enacting a tax freeze now would have absolutely no impact on the recent reappraisals. Such a freeze would have had to be enacted before January of this year to impact this year’s property taxes - something he either doesn’t understand or chose to ignore in an attempt to score political points.
"Despite his grandstanding, this commissioner has remained silent about recent tax hikes in Red Bank and Chattanooga, both of which affected seniors in his district.
"To make matters worse, he’s the only commissioner who has opposed the county’s balanced, fiscally responsible budgets each of the last two years - both of which included actual tax relief for seniors.
"Instead of virtue signaling about helping seniors like some politicians, I proposed doubling the county’s match of the state’s Property Tax Relief Program from 50 percent to 100 percent, resulting in over $1.7 million in savings for more than 4,000 low-income seniors and disabled veterans. The facts matter, especially when it affects the property taxes of senior citizens.”
Commissioner Sharpe said, "It's disappointing to see Weston so unwilling to help our senior citizens that he has chosen to attack me in a misguided attempt to make this a political issue. Extending tax relief to senior citizens should not be a partisan or political issue. It is a matter of respecting those who have worked hard all their lives to build up Hamilton County, and I am surprised that Weston has responded with such vitriol. Either the mayor is confused or deliberately misleading the public.
"Giving peace of mind to our aging population that their taxes will not be raised in the future is an issue many people agree on. My comments during the commission meeting were intended to start a discussion about expanding senior citizen tax relief, not to present a finalized proposal. Any actual implementation will require extensive collaboration between the commission, the County Attorney's office, the trustee's office, the property assessor, and numerous other stakeholders to ensure proper legal and financial compliance.
"Frankly, I have heard from a lot of people about this issue since last week's county commission meeting, and the overwhelming majority are in favor of expanding additional tax relief to senior citizens in our community. Weston Wamp appears to be the only naysayer. The comments and calls have come from people from every political party, age group, and neighborhood. Several people made positive suggestions, like adding veterans and people with disabilities to the final proposal.
"This wild attack by the county mayor is incredibly misguided and exhibits a clear misunderstanding of how our local governments work. Virtually every municipality in the county has experienced tax increases recently but the county mayor remains fixated on RedBank for some reason. Weston doesn't get a vote on the Red Bank Commission, neither do I. At this point, he'd have a hard time getting elected to office in Red Bank.
"To be clear, my preference was to expand senior tax relief years ago as I proposed in 2019. When Weston proposed the same measure again in 2023, I was happy to support the initiative. Unfortunately, Weston is so blinded by personal glorification and partisan ambition that he cannot see the virtue of even discussing extending additional tax relief to senior citizens in Hamilton County. I hope he will see how misguided his position on this is, but I won't hold my breath."