Response to Mayor Palmieri’s Recent Press Conference and other Media Reports

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

“Letters To The Editor” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Jefferson County Post nor any of its employees.  The Jefferson County Post does not underwrite any of the facts or situations mentioned in the letters.

Submitted by:

DAVID SEAL
JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMISSION, DISTRICT 9
JANUARY 31, 2016

Response to Mayor Palmieri’s Recent Press Conference and Other Media Reports

County Commission has been recently described by Mayor Palmieri as “disfunctional”.  I dispute that County Commission is disfunctional.  As a commissioner, I would point to several highlights as evidence that County Commission is functioning in the best interest of the citizens of Jefferson County.  Some of those items are as follows:

The election of Jimmy Carmichael as Commission Chair, John Neal Scarlett as Budget Chair, and John McGraw as Finance Chair, all of these Chairmen are fair, professional, and have produced results in the best interest of Jefferson County.

Langdon Potts, chosen by the Finance Committee as Jefferson County Finance Director.

Building 8 repair and renovation, funding secured with bond issue, now complete and serving students

Establishment of the Quality Control Oversight Committee for major building projects

Defeated the Mineral Tax (May 2015)

Established a retail business property tax abatement plan, resulting in the recruitment of Rusty Wallace Ford in Dandridge, with cost effective results and good financial return projected for Jefferson County

Balanced the 2015-2016 Budget with no property tax increase, as promised

Provided funding for the New Market Fire Department Sub-station, now functioning and serving Strawberry Plains

Funded the White Pine School Renovation, without the issuance of bonds or property tax increase

Passed a Broadband Resolution

All county services remain in operation.

If I were the Mayor of Jefferson County, I would be proud of what has been accomplished over the past 18 months.  As I have said on the floor of County Commission on more than one occasion, I am proud of the commission, its record, and the members that I serve with. As a group, I believe we: listen to ideas brought by our constituents, public officials, and many others;  debate items of business in open meetings; communicate with citizens; and vote in the best interest of Jefferson County.  One of the complaints often cited by Mayor Palmieri is budget cuts.  I have had no complaints from my district on recent budget cuts; in fact several citizens have praised the cuts and characterized them as “living within our means”, a financial principle that we all should endorse.  The only criticism that I have faced is that of not cutting the county budget even more.  I have announced this criticism in both the budget meetings and on the floor of commission.

One set of data that was asserted by Mayor Palmieri last year was high mileage on our ambulance vehicles.  He was quoted by The Citizen Tribune on July 15, 2015 as saying “we have ambulances in the county with more than 300,000 miles on them that will put them in a weak and vulnerable position” similar comments were reported by the Jefferson County Post on January 22, 2015 in a video interview.  I dispute this data and offer a report from the Jefferson County EMS Director dated July 14, 2015 as proof of my position.  Of the 9 frontline ambulances in the fleet, the average reported mileage is 80,709, two vehicles show less than 1000 miles each, and the highest mileage is shown at 168,613. Of the 5 reserve ambulance vehicles, the highest mileage is shown at 248,224.  No ambulance vehicle in the Jefferson County Fleet is projected to exceed 285,000 miles by the end of the 2016 Fiscal Year. It is my opinion that Information of this type, presented by the Mayor, could result in citizens being alarmed for no reason.

Another item from 2015 that reoccurs in communication from the Mayor to the media is “budget cuts to E-911”.  It is a matter of public record that E-911 received a $49,000 increase in funding from the previous year.  This department had ask for a $99,000 increase to fund two extra full time operators.  They were awarded a budget increase of $49,000 and hired one operator instead of two.  The mayor characterized this as a budget cut since E-911 only got one half of their requested budget increase.

The Mineral Tax proposed by the Mayor during the last budget cycle was defeated for a variety of reasons.  My objections to the tax are many.  Those objections include the following: possible loss of 400 mining jobs in Jefferson County, collateral effects on other business, uncertain revenue, cost of tax administration, the narrow scope of the tax, and sending a bad message to prospective industry.  The Mayor is quoted as saying the Mineral Tax was “shot down for the most ridiculous reasons imaginable”.  As a Commissioner, I take the effect of such a tax on the families of zinc miners very seriously, not to mention the financial risk of administering the tax and the message that it sends to prospective business.  In my research of zinc mining, a recent article published by Reuters, Nyrstar (zinc mining company) is examined by Philip Blenkinsop on a global scale and East Tennessee is featured as one of the only zinc mines remaining open because of mining efficiency.  The article goes on to say that mines in Middle Tennessee have been placed on “care and maintenance” status (basically shut down).  Of note, some counties in Middle Tennessee have imposed a mineral tax.

Last year’s Budget saw two additional taxes proposed by Mayor Palmieri, the Hotel/Motel Tax and a so-called Entertainment Tax.  Neither of the tax proposals were successful during the last budget cycle.  I am opposed to both of these taxes.  First, the Hotel/Motel Tax, this tax would punish tourist and discourage retail spending in Jefferson County.  It would also discourage investment in future hotels, motels, camp grounds, bed and breakfast, and other business subject to the tax.  I have pressed for increased tourism and retail recruiting since taking office in 2014.  Taxation on transient rental in any form discourages tourism, retail, business travel, and recreation. It discourages the very things that I am trying to see increased in Jefferson County. The Tennessee General Assembly is currently conducting a study assigned to the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to study the effects of occupancy tax on the economy of Tennessee, House Bill 0951, Senate Bill 0850.  The results of this study are due February 2016.  Second, the so-called Entertainment Tax, this form of tax would be the least defined tax ever proposed. It could potentially punish all forms of entertainment in Jefferson County and likely result in very little revenue.  Just imagine a tax on rodeos and concerts.

The Mayor recently said that County Commission “under-investigates issues”.  I also dispute this.  As a commissioner, I have always tried to present and outline my research in meetings before a vote is cast, others have done the same in presenting their research at Work Sessions and Voting Meetings.  The current 21 member County Commission is diverse in a wide range of fields of expertise and backgrounds.  Having this diversity gives County Commission the perspective to discuss and vet issues that effect the county.  A smaller County Commission would have fewer perspectives, less membership to share committee work, and fewer people to represent the citizens.  I am opposed to a reduction in the number of commissioners for these and other reasons.

David Seal