SOFAH Stresses Funding Of Megasite Is Consciously Wasting Taxpayer Money.

Group hopes to present a clear picture to the County Commission on Monday-they will not willingly part with their property

SOFAH Attorney Scott Hurley – Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

Save Our Farms and Homes, the citizen group opposed to the site of the proposed Megasite, held their last organizational meeting on Saturday afternoon in preparation of Monday night’s meeting of the Jefferson County Commission. The Jefferson County Budget Committee approved funding the initial $442,000 request of the EDOC last week, though the voting margin was narrow. The request is on the agenda for Monday’s Called Meeting of the Commission and must pass the full body for the funds to be appropriated. EDOC, which acts as an arm of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, plans to return to the County Commission with a request for another $2 million dollars to come from next year’s budget, if the initial request for funding passes the full body on Monday. Save Our Farms and Homes has retained legal council and is represented by Knoxville attorney Scott Hurley and his firm. Hurley represents around 1500 acres of property, which constitutes the largest portion of property within the footprint of the Megasite, and he stated that his clients have no intention of selling their land and homes.

The attorney informed the group that he had contacted Commissioners by mail to inform them of his client’s intent to reject offers to sell. He said that several Commissioners made public and private statements that they would not invoke eminent domain to gain property for the project. Hurley and his clients contend that the allocation of $442,000 of taxpayer money for a project that cannot advance without the accumulation of property in the footprint is the equivalent of consciously wasting taxpayer money. 

The property owners that have bonded together to form Save Our Farms and Homes hope to present a clear picture to the County Commission on Monday-they will not willingly part with their property. Supporters of the Megasite project have stated that they seeking initial funding to give property owners the opportunity to hear the offer of the property negotiation team. Hurley and the property owners are concerned about spending tax dollars on a project that will require invoking eminent domain to get off of the ground. Members of Save Our Farms and Homes made the point in Saturday’s meeting that they are not just property owners in the footprint of the Meagsite, they are also taxpayers in Jefferson County. They said that, while supporters of the project are using tax dollars for consultants and public relation firms to gain momentum for the Megasite, affected property owners, as County taxpayers, are footing the bill. In addition to paying the tab for a cause that they are clearly in opposition to, they also must incur the cost of fighting the project-in essence funding both sides of the issue. Save Our Farms and Homes members stated that they hope that clearly stating their intention to reject offers of options on their property will keep taxpayers from investing in a project that will not succeed in the current proposed location without invoking eminent domain.