Shop Tax Free in Tennessee the Last Weekend of July

July 12, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Mark your calendars, and get your shopping carts ready! Tennessee’s once-a-year sales tax holiday weekend happens Friday, July 26 through Sunday, July 28.

During this holiday period, shoppers can save nearly 10 percent on more than 150 different items, including clothing, school supplies and computers, as students prepare for the back-to-school season. State and local taxes will not be collected on exempt items that cost $100 or less per item and computers that cost $1,500 or less. For a full list of tax-exempt items, visit our website www.tntaxholiday.com.

The sales tax holiday weekend is for everyone, not just students or even just Tennesseans. Anyone who wants to shop in Tennessee during the last weekend of July will be eligible to save on sales tax.

“The sales tax holiday means hard-earned dollars go back into the hands of Tennessee families,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “We encourage everyone to participate and take advantage of the savings during what can be an expensive time of year.”

Tennessee law provides for a sales tax holiday each year during the last weekend in July. This year, the sales tax holiday begins Friday, July 26 at 12:01 a.m. and ends Sunday, July 28 at 11:59 p.m.

“This is an important savings opportunity for everyone. We want to remind people about it because it only happens one weekend a year,” Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said.

For more information about the sales tax holiday, including frequently asked questions, please visit www.tntaxholiday.com.

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws, as well as the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2018 fiscal year, it collected $14.5 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $2.8 billion in taxes and fees for local governments. To learn more about the Department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.

July 11, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb Middle School is under the leadership of a new principal.

Lacey Foutch began her new assignment on July 1^st moving from DeKalb County High School where she served for the last three years as an Algebra I teacher and instructional coach.

“I officially started July 1st but I actually went to work the very next day after I accepted the position. I am very fortunate to become part of their family at DeKalb Middle School. I understand it’s a very welcoming atmosphere there and I am excited to be part of that,” said Foutch.

Lacey is a 2008 graduate of DeKalb County High School and in 2012 she earned a degree from Tennessee Tech University before getting married and launching her teaching career.

“I earned a bachelor in mathematics degree and a minor in secondary education but while I was still at Tech going for my undergraduate degree I was a substitute teacher in the DeKalb County School system,” said Foutch.

After she and her high school sweetheart Daniel Foutch wed the couple relocated to Shelby County where he worked as a pharmacist and she took her first teaching job at Millington High School. A year later the couple moved to Knox County where she taught for two years at Carter Middle School and one year at Halls Middle School before returning to DeKalb County. While in Knox County, Foutch had stints as both a 7^th and  8^th grade teacher and served as a team evaluator and professional development specialist for the county.

The Foutch’s have one daughter, Emmaline who is three and a half months old.

“ I believe we have some of the best students of anywhere in the state and as principal I really want to support my teachers so they can do the best they possibly can with our students. Of course every school has their struggles but I am hoping to be able to support my teachers to overcome those struggles so that our students can succeed,” said Principal Foutch.

“Lacey is a good teacher. She was a leader while she was at the high school and she will bring some innovative ideas and be a great fit at the middle school. She will support her teachers well and help them. We look forward to seeing her lead in taking those students to where they need to be and higher,” said Director of Schools Patrick Cripps, who recognized Lacey’s abilities years ago.

“She graduated and then starting substituting the next year at the high school but she wasn’t just in there to make sure the students were behaving she was teaching the content to them. Even at that young age she had the respect of her peers and could handle herself and her classroom. I remember telling others then that Lacy was going to make it. That has always stuck with me,” added Director Cripps.

Principal Foutch will be joined at DeKalb Middle School by Assistant Principal Anita Puckett.

July 11, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The county commission will try again to pass a new budget with a 29 cent property tax increase when it convenes on Monday, July 22

During a meeting Wednesday evening, the county budget committee voted 4-1 to recommend the very same proposal to the county commission that was defeated last month. Since the measure came within three votes of passage with three members absent, some believe the budget may have a better chance of getting approved at the next commission meeting if all 14 commissioners are present.

Budget committee members voting to send the proposal back “as is” were Jeff Barnes, Anita Puckett, Sabrina Farler and Chairman Dennis Slager, who had previously voted against it in committee. Jerry Adcock, who had supported it before, voted “no” this time.

“I have not changed my mind about this budget but I feel this deserves the full vote of the commission. That’s what these commissioners are elected to do. They have to set the tax rate. That is part of their job. I believe it is in the best interest of the county to send this back to the full commission for another vote,” said Chairman Slager.

Adcock said he felt like the proposed budget could stand some trimming but not in the area of emergency services.

“There are a few areas we should cut but I don’t think we should cut anything from any of those people with the emergency services and fire department. I don’t think we should touch anything on theirs. Now when we start cutting we need to look at other departments,” said Adcock.

Before the vote, Chairman Slager gave his thoughts on the proposed budget and asked for comments from other budget committee members.

“There were a lot of hours put in on the budget and like any other budget there was funding that is necessary and  some funding that is not necessary but at the end of the day it is the budget that this committee presented  and voted on (previously) to send to the full commission. We have a couple of options (this time). We could leave it as is and send it back to the full commission with a full vote. We had two or three people absent (last commission meeting). It stands a chance of passing on its merits this time around. Or we could do like Jerry discussed and start looking at some things to cut. That’s a decision that the committee needs to think about. We have been through a lot of work here to put this together. It is not a perfect budget and it doesn’t address (new) schools. I think there has been a lot of controversy about why it doesn’t address schools. We all know we don’t have a proposal from the school (board) to consider yet and I don’t see how we could ever do that (fund new schools) without having something in front of us to fund.,” said Slager.

“I thought it (budget) looked pretty good. There is not a whole lot you can cut out of it. You could raise it all you want to,” said Barnes.

“I agree with Jeff. This budget is going to move DeKalb forward as far as the things that are needed and the things that have been allocated by prior (county) commissions that we will be obligated to fulfill. I am very hopeful for the new revenues we should be able to accrue through the litigation taxes and through Susan’s office (Circuit Court Clerk) if she is able to have this extra employee. I am very hopeful it will help increase revenues for our budget for next year. I feel like we need to push forward with this,” said Puckett.

“I feel like we spent long hours and addressed each budget equally. I’m not real sure how I feel about being the keeper of which one is more important than the other one. I think we were very equal and consistent with each decision we made. I have heard in the community that maybe it (tax increase) is not high enough (because of new schools) but I’m not sure we are there yet with schools. We have not been given a proposal yet for what they need and we need something on paper first. But what we have done with our budget meetings has been consistent. I think we have been fair,” said Farler.

With the proposed increase, as recommended by the budget committee, county taxpayers would pay $2.12 per $100 of assessed value starting this fall, up from the current rate of $1.83. However none of the proposed increase would go to fund a new school building program. Although the Board of Education has settled on a new Pre-K to 2^nd grade school model it has not yet sent a request for funding to the county commission. When that request does come, some say the county may have to re-visit property taxes and or seek a wheel tax to help support a school building program.

Steve Bates, the county’s financial advisor, has warned that the county cannot go another year without more revenue.

During Wednesday night’s budget committee meeting, Chairman Slager asked Bates to summarize the proposal that the county commission will again be asked to consider.

“The budget as originally presented increases the property tax 29 cents with four cents going to the general purpose school fund to meet state BEP requirements, 25 cents to the general fund, and one cent being diverted from the general capital projects fund to the highway department in order to meet the five year average. There are mandatory state pay raises for elected officials. Ambulance service revenues continue to lag expenditures and represents a difference $743,930 in this budget. The cash short fall in the general fund as presented is approximately $473, 291 but any increase in patient charges or fees or decreases in those expenditures will offset that. There are additional payroll positions in the circuit court clerk’s office, fire prevention, sheriff’s department, and General Session’s court for courtroom security. Total debt is $7, 470,000 and the calculated per capita debt is $398.97 per person. The net debt is $295.38. The total appropriations is $45,697,589,” said Bates.

The proposed tax rate is to be divided among the funds as follows:

*County General: $1.21.35 cents, up by 25 cents from the current rate of 0.9635 cents

*Highway/Public Works: 0.04 cents, up by 1 cent from the current rate of 0.03 cents

*General Capital Projects: 0.9 cents, down by 1 cent from the current rate of 0.10 cents

*Debt Service: 0.13 cents

*General Purpose Schools: 0.65 cents, up by 4 cents from the current rate of 0.61 cents.

The county commission will again consider the new budget and property tax rate for passage at the next meeting on Monday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the downstairs courtroom of the courthouse.

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