Dear Editor:

The powerful Tennessee House Committee for State and Local Government is front-and-center infixing the local Annexation issue here in Cocke County.  Businesses and residents are urging our state representative to fix the current law on the books, TCA, Title 6, Chapter 51 and 58.

Either Mr. Faison (candidate) or Mr. Yokely (incumbent,) will have that opportunity by supporting House Bill HB2429 in the next legislative session in the full House.

Under the current law, written previously by this committee (TCA, Title 6) a city can annex surrounding land and change its boundaries and consequently gain new tax revenues.  

In Cocke County, the City of Newport has been empowered by the State and Local Government Comm. (in Nashville) to annex land, force residents and businesses into new and extended boundaries for the City, and collect taxes that benefit the City budget and broaden the tax base to the benefit of all other City taxpayers. Currently, the City is in Phase 4 of its Annexation Plan and the City boundaries will soon reach almost to I-40 ("Church of the Open Door.")

This "land-grab" will wreck havoc on our small, and already-struggling, businesses.   We will incur additional cost (City taxes) for services we already have.  We have water, septic and police and fire protection as well as County maintenance of our roads.

We will not see any new business as a result of annexation-it will just cost us more to keep our doors open. What will help us, if the Economic Development chief brings in new business and light industry targeted to our section of the County?

Our Constitutional rights of due process (referendum by those affected or a trial by a judge and jury)   have been ignored by the  State and Local Government Committee in Nashville.  This is an issue that is not controlled at the local level by the County or the City.  

Businessman, Mr. Willie Green, in his recent letter in the Plaintalk (July 17) states that local-state-national governments are separate from each other and a State Representative has no say on local issues..  But we know better, that State Legislatures and State Representatives can provide incentives or restrictions on local government.  (Cocke County for instance, even relies on the State legislature to pass Local County ordinances, such as for Trash that cannot be re-cycled, because the County CLB won't accept its responsibility for writing local ordinances itself.).

Mr. Porterfield, because of obvious concern over County taxes, wrote previously, in the Plaintalk (July 10) "This will set your hair on fire."   As a reader it was clear that he was trying to bring additional light and arouse interest in the issue of Annexation.

We need more discussion, not less about our tax predicament.  We have the highest property taxes among surrounding counties; we have two thousand delinquent taxpayers; we have thirty businesses that account for half of the total outstanding-$630,000. 

Another leak in County taxes is results from the unrecognized consequence of annexation.  As the economy corrects from its slump, retail sales will improve, but these future tax revenues will favor the City and be lost permanently after fifteen years.

Trying to shut down discussion is not healthy and is not what we mean when we call ourselves a Democracy. Our forefathers believed everyone had a right to express an opinion; no one had to agree with it.  Like Mr. Porterfield, we believe it is healthy to hold an elected official's "feet to the fire," especially at election time.

Small shopkeepers in Newport, like Mr. Green, will benefit from the annexation of new taxpayers-so he has a vested interest in the annexation by the City.  He is also a backer of the Hon. Eddie Yokely, who is up for re-election.  We encourage him to talk to Mr. Yokely to support relief for our shops and businesses.

We have a few questions for Mr. Green and others favorably affected.   If your shop was in our neighborhood, "Radio Hill," in the path of the City's "steamroller," instead of Newport, would you sit by and not protest against the forced takeover by the City?   Would you like to incur additional costs before you even open your shop for the day?

Mr. Green, we have a lot in common. We have been here forever, just like you.  Our community works hard, just as you do. We just want the City to leave us alone.  We would like Mr. Don Hurst to put business and industry in our neighborhood to improve our situation, and our elected officials to practice fairness and commonsense.  Don't you agree that's the American way?

In this democracy, we are allowed to ask candidates tough questions before we commit to giving them our vote.  Mr. Yokely (if re-elected) or Mr. Faison (if elected,) has a critical challenge from us to fix the problem.  This call for action is not a "blatant attack" against the candidacy of the Hon. Yokely, as Mr. Green claims; instead, it is town-hall democracy at its best.

As voters, what we do want is for both men, whomever the voters decide on, to support the House Bill being considered by the State and Local Government Committee can make a difference by fixing the existing law.  It is HB 2429.

This State legislative fix (amendment) will benefit local businesses and residents by giving them a voice in whether to be annexed or not.  This Bill requires "election by voters (in a referendum) who reside in the in the territory proposed for annexation."  It restores the constitutional right of "due process (trial with a jury,) to contest the validity of a municipal annexation plan."

Currently our Radio Hill community has hired a lawyer to challenge the validity of the Annexation Plan.  This was done without the support (moral or otherwise) from the CLB.  Is this because they" don't get it," or because they are intimidated by the CLB members who are also residents of Newport? They have never asked for input from those of us affected nor effectively challenged the City Annexation Plan.

We have just had our "day in court" (PlainTalk, July 15) and our argument failed. If we had been successful, everyone in the County could have "jumped up and down" because we would have kept the City out of our wallets.

Instead, we will "jump up and down" out of anger and frustration while the two thousand non-paying taxpayers and the top-thirty businesses drive up the costs of government but make no contribution.  Everyone in the County has to pay more in property taxes to make up for the delinquent taxes that have been negligently allowed to snowball for the last ten years.

We elect our representatives, so we can't complain that we don't have representation!  Maybe we just don't have the right representation we need.

More than ever we need the Hon. Mr. Yokely or Mr. Faison to do the right thing and push HB2429.   We want a commitment now before the election,

Mr. Yokely is not only responsible for State matters but local issues, as well.  Mr.Yokely's powerful committee assignment on the "The State and Local Government Committee," gives him the opportunity to change the law-that is what his powerful committee is all about.  The people, who are his boss, will hold him accountable.

We do agree with Mr., Green that this is a great County-we just need all our elected representatives to fight for us.  Thank you, Mr. Yokely or Mr. Faison. "Do the right thing." HB2429 deserves quick passage.

County residents: Urge passage of HB 2429, contact Mr., Yokely in Newport at 423-608-7455; emailrep.eddie.yokely@legislator.stat.tn.us <mailto:rep.eddie.yokely@legislator.stat.tn.us> . Or go to Mr. Faison's website: jeremyfaison.com

Thank you for hearing us and helping us.

Dennis and Kathy Edmonds, kathyedmonds@msn.com