Better management

I lived in Lenoir City for 20 years and moved to a neighboring county late last year. About the only thing I disliked about the community was that so many of the same elected officials continued to get re-elected, even though they were not making great decisions to help move Loudon County forward.

A prime example is the most recent response in this newspaper from Lenoir City Mayor Tony Aikens regarding needing more funding for schools.

Politicians will push something through as fast as they can and say it’s “for the kids.” They want emotions to drive people to agree. Why can’t local government do what the residents have to do and cut somewhere else to pay for what’s most important?

I still use Lenoir City Utilities Board and dropped off a payment recently at the newly built, $40 million-plus building. A person with some vision and foresight might have taken some of the $30 million in the 2017 budget for that elaborate estate and put just $1 million of it toward fences and resource officers. Or they could have taken some of the nearly $26 million in 2018’s capital expenses. Then the voters might actually believe the leadership in Lenoir City was steering this community in the correct direction.

Lenoir City does not have a problem with lack of money, but a problem prioritizing spending.

Allan Carter
Knoxville