It started back in 2007, when the city took on a the Harrison Road project at the high school. The state would pay for 80% the city would be required to pay 20%. The city asks the county to pay half the 20% and the county agreed. The county's portion would be $176,900.00.  The project takes ten years, In that time, the city comes back to the county and says they forgot about some things and they need the county to pay an additional $97,627.00. The county agreed.

In 2019, comes the Allen Brook issue. Apparently, the city allowed an developer to skip town without finishing several streets in the development. So, the city comes to the county with a wild story how it was the county's fault and wants the county to pay to pave the streets. Fortunately, county officials saw through that one and didn't pay.

Then in 2021, there was the Adequate Schools Facility Tax, ASFT issue. When the county decided to give extra funding to the county schools from the county ASFT, city officials had a hissy fit and refused to provide the documentation to the county for collections of the ASFT if the county didn't reinstate the ASFT to the city. The county did not reinstate the funds.

Earlier this year, the county received a letter from mayor Tony Aikens, not the council, that said the city would not pay their share of the city property reappraisal, $47,000.00, because the county didn't pave the Allen Brook roads back in 2019. The city still hasn't paid their bill.

A couple months ago, the city sent the county a bill for $202,000.00 for the Simpson Road project. More than ten years ago, the city began the Simpson Road widening project. Like the Harrison Road project, the state would pay 80% and the city would be responsible for 20%. The city asked the county to pay half of the 20%, the county agreed. The county's portion would be $89,000.00. According to city officials, for some reason, the state refused to pay for some parts of the project. So the city wants the county to pay an additional $113,000.00 for whatever the mess up was. Not sure what the county will do with this one. It will be discussed at tonight's commission meeting, 11/7.

If the city doesn't pay their 47k bill to the county, why on earth would the county pay the bill for 202k to the city?

When dealing with Lenoir City officials, it's hard not to think of Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown.

One things for certain, city officials sure don't have any problem coming to the county with their hat in hand for money when they mess up.

If we don't learn from our mistakes, we're doomed to repeat them.