Sales Tax Referendum To Be On August Ballot

KEITH READY, Courier Contributor


A referendum will be placed on the August 2 election ballot regarding the local option sales and use tax. The Cannon County Commissioners voted during their monthly meeting Tuesday night to pass the issue on to the voters of Cannon County.

Commissioners voted a couple of months ago to increase it a penny from 1.75 to 2.75 percent.  However, they had to rescind the action due to the fact that an increase in the sales tax must be approved by voters via a referendum. The referendum must take place no less than 45 days and no more than 60 days from when the commission votes to place it on a ballot.

They voted unanimously to override a veto made by Cannon County Executive Mike Gannon to increase the local Litigation Tax from $12.00 to $15.00 cover the cost of the state-mandated raise in salary for the General Sessions Court Judge.

The Commissioners also let a veto made by Gannon stand that overrode the enactment of an Archive Fee of $5.00 in regards to preservation and storage of records.

No action was taken on a proposal to require the county attorney to reside within the county.

The Commissioners voted to approve the recommendation of Chairman Bob Stoetzel's candidates for the Industrial Development Board. Members of the board approved Tuesday night included Mindy Gunter, Neal Applebaum, Corey Davenport, Dean Moore, Doug Bodary, David Vance and Randall Reid. The IDB members will serve in six year increments.

The Commissioners voted to allow the Cannon County Fire Board to work with Jerry Pelham Auto Salvage to take the two old fire trucks that are on the Pelham's property that belong to the county and transport them to Chattanooga for scrap. The Board will then be allowed to take the money to buy a cascade system for Bradyville.

The Commissioners approved the bid submitted by First National Bank on a loan to the county for $130,000 for the purchase of two fire trucks. The Bank came in with the lowest interest rate at 1.9 percent.  

The fire trucks will be purchased for the Gassaway and Westside Volunteer Fire Departments. There is a company out of Friendship, Tennessee that offered the Fire Departments three fire trucks for $150,000.  

The motion was made and approved for the negotations to see if three fire trucks can be purchased for $130,000 and no more than $150,000. If the final asking price is $150,000 then the remaining $20,000 would come out of County General Fund Balance.

The Commissioners also approved ammendments of the Cannon County Schools, General Budget and Cannon County Election Committees.

The meeting was recessed until Thursday, June 28 so the Commissioners can clean up any budget amendments and vote in a continuing budget until a new budget for the new fiscal year which starts in July can be recommended and approved.