How Do You Balance Your Budget? How Has Haslam Balanced the City of Knoxville’s?

Let’s have a civilized discussion about how the Mayor of Knoxville balances the city’s budget. Bill Haslam took office as Mayor of Knoxville in 2003. What was his first answer to balancing his first city budget? A property tax increase on the backs of every City of Knoxville property owner.

How else has the Mayor of Knoxville balanced the City of Knoxville’s budget? He has taken (stolen) from the county through annexation of residential and commercial property. When he annexes commercial property he takes the majority of sales tax revenue from the county and puts it in the city coffers. With annexation of county residential property, the county property owner has is obligated to pay both county and city property taxes. A doubling of their obligation in order to balance the city books to pay the tab for the past excesses of the city.

How else has the Mayor of Knoxville balanced the City of Knoxville’s budget? He contracted with an out of Knoxville company and installed red light cameras. City Judge John Rosson in speaking to a Fountain City group reported that revenue for the previous year was $1.0 million dollars. That is nearly $84,000.00 dollars a month that Haslam has taken out of the local economy. That is fewer icees, beer, tobacco that can be purchased at the local Pilot Travel Center. That is fewer movies being enjoyed at the local theaters and that hurts jobs. That is two teachers in the Knox County School System that serve city students.

So, when you vote in the Republican primary for Governor. Ask yourself, how will Haslam balance the state’s budget? The only indicator we can make a valid judgment is from past record. Haslam didn’t cut bureaucracy, he didn’t reduce the taxpayers burden. He simply raised taxes, added more taxpayers to his tax role and he took money out of the hands of local small businesses.