Politics vs. Good Stewardship of County Assets
By Pat Hunter

It’s no secret that Mayor Doyle Arp wants the Loudon County Board of Education (BOE) administrative offices out of the County Office Building on River Rd. According to school officials, Arp proposes to relocate BOE administrative offices to the Tech Center off Harrison Road in Lenoir City. 

The Tech Center is a valuable county asset and resource in excellent condition, why would we want to spend more taxpayer monies for expensive office renovations when this facility could be used to ease over-crowding in our county schools?

Why not renovate the garage area and add more classroom space or even a second floor with more classrooms to the existing Tech Center facility?    

Proposed Study 

The Capital Projects Committee is scheduled to meet on Jan. 7th to discuss and make a recommendation to the Budget Committee and full commission about allocating funds for a Study regarding the use of the Technology Center Building. This means that taxpayers will bear the cost of another Study to facilitate Mayor Arp's latest costly political whims. 

Why spend more public monies for a Study while some of our county students attend school in public buildings with serious life safety problems, which require immediate repairs? 

If you detect outrage in my voice, you're right and I make no apologies. Our students do not live in a Third World Country. As such, they deserve a safe and comfortable environment while they try to learn! 

The Tech Center is a beautiful 25-acre campus with tennis courts and ballpark with room for expansion. It is centrally located to students that live in the 5^th District (Eaton’s) and 6^th District (Highland Park) areas.

Its time for our county commissioners to grow some backbone and say no to Mayor Arp and put this valuable resource to good use for our county students.