Oak Ridge Today

Guest column: Adapting to change

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I can’t function without my…(fill in the blank)!

Cell phone? I survived into my early 30s without one, and never even realized it was a problem. I admit that now, having carried one for a number of years, it’s terribly disconcerting to be without. My parents can easily recall a time when most families had only one car—a concept that is unthinkable to most of us today. But faced with challenges, we adapt. We can, we must, and we will.

Families living in most communities outside Oak Ridge are accustomed to not having school bus service within a mile or mile-and-a-half of the school, so our current turmoil seems like no big deal to them. To us though, having to suddenly live without something we’ve always had (except for a brief period several years ago) feels like the end of life as we know it.

With the advent of social media, the volume of discontent and velocity of misinformation has grown exponentially. It is most unfortunate that a member of City Council chose to announce in Monday’s meeting that the School Board intended to cut transportation no matter how much money the city provided; that is incorrect, as evidenced by the fact that there was no reduction in transportation services in our budget passed on May 27 (first reading) and May 29 (second reading). [Read more…]

Guest column: Tax hike will hurt city’s ability to recruit DOE workers

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The Oak Ridge Schools are requesting a substantial property tax increase to fund items they see as essential to their future.

Yet an Oak Ridge tax hike will markedly reduce our city’s ability to recruit new U.S. Department of Energy workers. According to the latest DOE report, Anderson County is losing over $300,000 per week to Knox County in DOE payroll. That loss rate is increasing, and a tax hike would make this serious problem worse.

Unfortunately, our city has a DOE “isolation fence” around it. In most cases, new workers are sent by the DOE system directly to Knox County—mainly to Farragut. And as a result, their important housing decisions are made without talking to an Oak Ridge realtor. They never get an opportunity to find out how wonderful it is to live here.

The new Kroger store won’t affect this uneven playing field. A property tax hike (of any size) will simply make the problem worse—giving Farragut an even greater advantage over us. [Read more…]

Letter: Will not vote for tax increase, wants better communication with schools

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Note: This is a copy of a June 2 letter from Oak Ridge City Council member Anne Garcia Garland to Parker Hardy and members of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. 

Dear Chamber:

The Oak Ridge City Council has always supported the needs and beyond of the city school system. This current council has lived in that tradition. We honor and appreciate our students and our teachers and have voted to provide whatever can reasonably be provided. We have also weathered the annual School Board predictions of educational catastrophe if the increased budget projections are not allocated.

This town depends upon the base of education and economic largesse of its original homeowners at the beginning of the 1950s for its sense of pride and place in academia. It is, however, that early well-being and the growth and optimism of the early post-war years which have created a myth of extraordinary wealth and erudition with which we are burdened today. Our reality is that we are a lovely small Southern town with great diversity of education, income, and opinion. We are neither young nor old, rich nor poor, progressive nor conservative. We are all of these descriptions and many between.

This town created a wonderful culture and honored its natural environment in such an outstanding manner that it has attracted citizens from neighboring counties to live and work here. Perhaps because we did not have a large stock of new or above-average priced homes, we have not attracted a large number of the professional transferees to the federal facilities in the past couple decades. After all, “youngish” professionals selling homes in more expensive markets need the tax protection of buying comparably priced homes in this area. [Read more…]

Guest column: 2015 school budget considerations

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Trina Baughn

Trina Baughn

I have reviewed your budget proposals and would like to share my thoughts for consideration in your final deliberations. I should clarify that because our charter forbids City Council, as a body, from “modifying or deleting any item in school estimates,” my statements do not reflect the opinions of my fellow council members.

As you know, we are blessed to live in a community that actively and generously supports education. Not only do we rank fifth in the state for our level of local funding (54 percent), but, at $12,075 per pupil, we continue to outspend the state average of $9,293 and the national average of $11,068.

Our generosity, however, has taken a toll that we can no longer ignore. Having the third highest tax rate ($4.74) in the area has been counterproductive to attracting new residents. One need only look to the phenomenal growth in Farragut, whose property tax rate is less than half of ours ($2.32), to appreciate the negative impact of our high taxes. [Read more…]

City budget meeting schedule altered after tax due date changed

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City of Oak Ridge Seal

Oak Ridge has changed the due date and delinquency dates for property taxes, and the city’s budget meeting schedule has also been adjusted “to coincide with the tax due date changes,” a press release said.

The Oak Ridge City Council changed the due date for taxes to July 1 and the delinquency date to Aug. 31 during a March 24 meeting “so as to better benefit the city and the taxpayers,” the press release said.

“Typically, the city schedules consideration of the appropriations ordinance by the City Council in May; however, this year, the appropriations ordinance will be considered in June, thus reducing the number of meetings in May to just one regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council,” the release said. This meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, May 12, in the Municipal Building Courtroom. [Read more…]

Guest column: Baughn’s budget recommendations to city manager

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Trina Baughn

Trina Baughn

The following are my 2015 budget recommendations to the city manager:

Mr. Watson,

I commend you for your willingness to reduce spending in your formulation of the Fiscal Year 2015 city budget. This approach is essential to making Oak Ridge more attractive to prospective residents and businesses.

As you know, Oak Ridge has the third highest city/county property tax rate in East Tennessee at $4.74. What you may not realize is this year, the city of Knoxville dropped below us in these rankings with a combined city/county rate of $4.71 while the majority of Knox Countians still pay less than half of our rate at $2.32.

In response to your request for council suggestions, I encourage you to set a very obtainable goal. That is, reduce our total budget by .05 percent ($90,000) and return those monies to the taxpayers in the amount of a one-cent tax rate reduction. The following are my suggestions for accomplishing this goal. [Read more…]

Guest column: Chamber hopes to continue working with city on business development

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Throughout the years, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has been a valuable asset to the community, supporting local businesses and promoting new business development in our city. For more than 20 years, the city of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce have had an agreement through which the Chamber works in partnership with the city to attract new business to the community.

Appropriately, during these challenging economic times, the city is looking at all of its economic development relationships and asking itself whether or not it’s a good investment. We recognize the city’s efforts to conserve public dollars and have made a proposal to City Council for the formation of a better and less expensive partnership for the future. [Read more…]

Letter: Endorses candidates who favor less spending, smaller government

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To the Editor:

I would like to recommend that citizens of Oak Ridge vote for the following three candidates for the reasons shown.

I have studied their publications, and have spoken with them independently.

I am not a member of any party, nor will I ever be. I continuously monitor the actions of our local government and vote on the best choices, considering the current issues. I encourage all my friends and subscribers that take the time to read this letter to vote for these people.

Trina Baughn—City Council

I have long waited for a Council candidate with such a fresh outlook and real understanding of what the real causes are of the pitiful economic situation that Oak Ridge is experiencing because of one fiasco after another.

I could hardly believe my eyes when I read her published statements in some articles in January, so I asked for a private meeting with her to query her deeply on her views. I was so impressed with her responses that I have worked with her on her campaign since February. She is the real deal.

She wants to:

  1. lower spending,
  2. lower property taxes, and
  3. lower the debt.

All this, without sacrificing quality of life. This can be done. Her web site is trinabaughn.com.

Leonard Abbatiello—School Board

The ongoing rift between the city and the Board of Education is an embarrassment for the citizens of Oak Ridge. Leonard needs no introduction, as he was a long-time member of City Council. His campaign slogan says it all for me: “Uncommon Sense.”

What we used to think of simple common sense, is sorely needed today, and I believe Leonard will be a big factor in getting us back on track, controlling the educational system’s budget and ending the senseless rift.

John Ragan—State Representative District 33

As mentioned, I am not a member of any party. However, I am voting for Ragan because he is the best choice as it regards Oak Ridge (and Anderson County). Although I do not like the “bonding” of our legislators around party lines when the rubber meets the road, I am voting for John because I truly believe he will work to:

  1. make government at all levels smaller and more effective;
  2. improve transparency in government for average citizens, especially on financial matters; and
  3. make government more open and responsive to its citizens.

Robert Humphries

Oak Ridge

Loudon company wants to use Alexander Inn as assisted living center

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A Loudon company has proposed converting the historic but run-down Alexander Inn in Oak Ridge into a $6 million, 60-unit assisted living senior center.

Family Pride Corp. has requested a 90 percent, 10-year tax property tax break on the three-acre site. Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board members will be briefed on the proposal Monday and consider recommending it to City Council during a special Oct. 11 meeting.

Family Pride would work with InSite Development Corp. of Knoxville to redevelop the two-story hotel, which was built during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project.

[Read more…]

Guest column: Oak Ridge needs debt policy, debt ceiling

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Trina Baughn

Trina Baughn

At under 45 minutes, this month’s City Council meeting may have been the shortest meeting they’ve ever held. While it was a nice change from the normal three-hour meetings, I wonder why council didn’t take the opportunity to discuss anything of significance given our city’s various, not to mention serious, problems. After all, they are limited in how often they meet to accomplish anything. Yet, they were perfectly content to accomplish nothing.

Nearly a year ago, I wrote about our city’s debt—a bill that is quickly approaching $200 million. I implored the city to develop a debt policy that would establish a debt ceiling, a debt reduction plan, and parameters for borrowing.

[Read more…]

Council considers water, sewer rate increases tonight

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During a special meeting tonight, the Oak Ridge City Council will again consider significant increases in the city’s water and sewer rates.

Council members postponed a decision during their regular April 9 meeting to allow the public more time to study the most recent proposed rates.

The most recent proposal calls for raising total water and sewer rates between 28 percent to 35 percent, depending upon a variety of factors, including the number of total gallons used. There would be a minimum monthly increase of $7 for the first 2,000 gallons of water and sewer, but the increases could be much larger for bigger customers.

Council will consider those rate hikes during a special meeting at 7 p.m. today in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 S. Tulane Ave.

Also on the agenda is a special report by Linda M. Daugherty of the University of Tennessee on the need for a new Oak Ridge Senior Center.

[Read more…]