Jefferson County Mayor Palmieri Favors Withdrawal From Megasite Project, Take Project Back To Drawing Board

Jefferson County Mayor Palmieri stated Thursday that he is in favor of halting the current proposed Megasite project in which the County has invested $442,311 of a projected nearly $3 million needed for possible site certification. The Mayor conveyed concerns regarding the ability of the County to fund the balance of the cost of the full project, which will tally an estimated $306 million dollars, without significant assistance from the State of Tennessee, Tennessee Valley Authority and other public bodies which have issued statements denouncing their financial involvement in the project. Though Mayor Palmieri stated that he is in favor of economic development, the current proposal does not adequately address issues that could be prohibitive of landing a major auto manufacturer such as lack of dual rail access, water and sewer feasibility and other environmental concerns, as well as stiff competition both in and out of the State of Tennessee. Beyond those issues, Palmieri said that he had spoken directly to the Governor of Tennessee and it was clear that the State would only become involved after a company had been identified for the site and would not be a party to any of the site preparation funding or marketing. Further, the Governor was unaware of any auto manufactures looking to relocate in the State. The Mayor said that he has a responsibility to the citizens of Jefferson County to make sound economic choices with tax payer money and that there has been no true assessment of the risks involved in the project. He and his staff have been independently investigating and asking questions regarding funding allies and risks, which have not been addressed in information provided to his office, and, according to Palmieri, there is not an adequate amount of information and planning for the proposed site to deem it an acceptable risk for tax payer money. The Mayor maintains that Jefferson County is in need of employment opportunities, however the proposed Megasite project has been handled poorly and the County cannot support an economic risk of this magnitude. He stated that he continues to encourage bringing appropriate industry to the area with the thrust toward diversifying the tax base with mid and small industry, which reflects the interest of the State, so that Jefferson County can position itself to support a large scale project in the future.