911 Funding Cut 11

At the last Lenoir City council meeting, council member, Robin McNabb, brought up the question of the city not paying their 911 bill. Mayor Aikens tried to blame it on the council for not including it in their budget. He also said city residents also pay a fee on their phone bills for 911 and that city residents pay county taxes too. Obviously, Aikens is doing what he does best, blame somebody else.

Let's go back to September 2023, when the funding was approved by the council. Aikens, all on his own, with no vote of the council or even input from them, just decided to cut off the funding. In the letter he sent to 911, he said it was because of the litigation going on between Van Shaver and the city. Of course that's plain stupid. There is no and has never been any litigation between me and the city. What Aikens really means is, the lawsuit by the county against the city for their two illegal annexations. As to city residents paying a fee on their phone bill, so does everyone in the state of Tennessee.

As for wanting to punish the 911 Emergency District because of the illegal annexation lawsuit, News Flash for Aikens, 911 is not a part of Loudon County government. They are a stand alone organization, independent of any of the local governments. The county does contributed $545,000.00 per year to support 911. Loudon City contributes $10,000.00 and Lenoir City does not contribute anything because of Aikens spite toward the county. Withholding that money does not punish Loudon County, it only hurts 911 and puts the costs on the county and City of Loudon. You might think that Aikens, being in law enforcement all those years, would understand how 911 works. The $10,000.00 contribution from Loudon and Lenoir City is to help pay for the NCIC service for each agency.

Aikens can't blame the funding cut on anyone but himself. He has never even allowed the council to even discuss it in a public meeting. Hopefully, that's about to change. 

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3/17/25