In 2006, the BOE did buy a parcel of property on Hwy. 321. That purchase was a boondoggle from the beginning and should never have happened. They paid far more than the land was worth and the property was not at all suitable for construction for a school. They paid $2,200,825.00

They sold the land on 9/30/21 for $2,020,000.00. They did not lose a million dollars, as has been stated, on the sale. They did lose $180,825.00 but given how much they had originally paid for the land, they were very fortunate to just lose what they lost. Still a lot of money. The decision to finally sell the land was made knowing that the need for a new school was coming.

Director of schools, Mike Garren, had already begin looking for suitable land for the new school even before the 321 land sold. He had reached out to numerous property owners with land for sale from Martel to Dixie Lee Junction to Hotchkiss Valley but found many of them well out of their price range or the infrastructure, water, sewer, roads weren't there to support a school. Several times, a property was sold before he even had the chance to evaluate it. With available, for sale, property options exhausted, Garren just started looking at property maps of the upper end of the county. One of those properties he looked at was the 27 acre property that Lenoir City First Baptist Church had recently bought.

Mr. Garren reached out to church officials around the first of August to see if they would have any interest in selling the land and found that they were open to discuss. The property was not on the market and was never listed for sale. The BOE not only wanted to buy the 27 acre tract, they were also interested in buying an additional 7 acres of the current church property that the church wasn't using.

The church bought the property on 9/27/21 for $925,000.00 with no specific plans for the property other than, at some point, building a road through the property from the church to Hwy. 11. The land was purchased from private property owners. Contrary to some statements on social media, the land was purchased with no promises as how the land might be used and with no conditions, restrictions or stipulations included in the transaction. Also contrary to social media, there was no conspiracy between the church and the BOE to buy the property.

Thus far, the church has voted to sell both properties to the BOE, the BOE has voted to buy both properties and the county commission has voted to approve the funding for the BOE to buy the properties. The BOE is currently doing all the testing required to determine if the property is suitable for a school. No money will change hands until all testing is complete and it's determined that a school can be built on the two properties.

It is amazing how something can be said on social media sites and there are some folks who just take it as gospel without ever checking the facts. Here's a few other facts that need to be addressed.

The church has asked for the right to buy the property back if the BOE decides not to build on the site. No road for the school from Hwy. 11 to Simpson Road will be built by the BOE unless and until construction begins on the school itself.

The property, the church bought, had been on the market since 2009 and was priced at 1.6 million dollars at that time. The asking price for the property had been continually reduced from that time.

The church hasn't been pressured by the BOE or anyone else to sell the land. The membership of the church voted by a 90% margin to sell the land.

When or if a new school is ever built, regardless of where it's built, it will require a property tax increase. Fortunately, Loudon County currently has the second lowest property tax rate in the state at $1.52 per $100 value. 

Traffic concerns have been raised. Yes, a school would add additional traffic to the area. However, prior to the church buying the property, the property had been marketed as a location for residential development. The property could have had as many as 750 apartments or 300 homes. This would cause far more traffic than a school ever would.   

Finally, I am not on any committee or group from the church that has been negotiating the sell of the property nor have I worked with the BOE to acquire the property. In fact, since I am in unique position as a church member and a commissioner, that may some day have to vote on a tax increase, I abstained from voting on the property sale. 

I really hate to have to address wild claims that are made on social media but at some point, the record has to be set straight.