Below is a pretty comprehensive list of the major expenditures every county tax payer is contributing to. Nearly every household in Loudon County uses or is in need of many of the services provided by our tax dollars.

So, is it true that Tellico Village, as a community, doesn't use county services or doesn't get much of anything in return for their taxes? I think not. Let's take a look.

Of course the largest expenditure for all of us is education. Loudon County schools hauls a bus and a half of kids from the village to county schools. Don't know how many others are transported by parents. Do villagers use the 911 emergency service, you better believe it, for all their fire, police and ambulance services. How about the sheriff's department? Yep, not to mention the village also has the COPS program provided by the sheriff's department. The jail and the judicial system? Murders, attempted murder, domestic assaults, DUI's all happen in the village as frequently as any other part of the county.

If I'm not mistaken, villagers participate in elections and use the convenience centers and I'm pretty sure, nearly every villager owns a home and a car so they have to have the services provided by the Trustee, Assessor, court clerk and register of deeds offices.

Loudon County maintains over 500 miles of county roads. I bet villagers travel many of those roads. It's true, the county does not maintain the streets in the village proper, but that was a decision made by the developers of the village, Cooper Communities, when they chose to build their streets, substandard to county road requirements. I guess if the POA wanted to bring their streets up to county standards, they could ask the county to take them into the county road system.

The county provides building inspections, animal control, senior citizens services and an outstanding senior citizens center all used by villagers. The village certainly benefits from the Visitor Bureau from advertising and the veteran's services.

I could go on and on but I think I've made the point. Residents of Tellico Village use or have access to the exact services as any other county resident. No more, no less.

To be clear, the vast majority of Tellico Village residents I know, are very happy in their neck of the woods and are pleased with the super low cost of living they find here as opposed to where they came from. 71% of village property owners pay more in annual POA dues than they pay in property taxes. Just seems that recently, for what ever reason, the village administration appears to be looking for ways to cover shortfalls they seem to be facing in their finances and in the process casting a dim light on their whole community.

When it comes to paying our taxes, I guess we could look at, as one for all and all for one no matter where you live.