Aikens may be having a Joe Biden brain freeze moment. A few issues here.
I, Van Shaver, is not suing anyone. Loudon County Commission filed a lawsuit against Lenoir City for two illegal annexations. Aikens seems to want to blame everybody but himself for the lawsuit. If it wasn't for the city's illegal actions, there would be no lawsuit. Put the blame where it belongs.
Lenoir City and Loudon City have never contributed any money to the 911 Emergency Communications Dispatch Center until last year, for the very first time, and that's was $10,000.00 from each city. The county contributes $545,000.00 per year.
The $10,000.00 contribution to 911 is in the city's adopted budget. The mayor has no authority to unilaterally stop or with hold any approved budget expenditures. That would take council action. Of course, I'm sure he knows he can tell most of them what to do and they'll do it.
The $10,000.00 given by the cities goes to pay for what's called NCIC reports requested by the city police departments.
Aikens is correct on one point, city tax payers do pay county and city taxes and the Rain Tax he forgot to mention. City residents have full access to any and all county services. In the case of the 911 Emergency Communications Dispatch Center, the county tax payers are having to subsidies the 911 Emergency Communications Dispatch calls and services for the Lenoir City.
I think this is the third or fourth time Tony's gotten mad about something, stomped his feet, took his ball and gone home. Lenoir City residents need not worry, the county will not let Aikens tantrum disrupt any public safety services for Lenoir City residents.
Mayor Aikens is determined to try to make county commission drop the lawsuit against the city, it's not going to happen. Why is he so afraid for the annexation lawsuit to go to court? He knows that full discovery will show all the details of one of the properties that was illegally annexed, who the money backers were, how the streets got their names, how the developer was able to get a 20 year PILOT tax break, and so on and so on.
Lots more information coming.