The Lenoir City BOE is looking to buy 16 acres of land, beside the elementary school, from LCUB for an estimated value of $425,000. Apparently, the BOE plans to do an addition to the elementary school at some point in the future. The land in question has a strange history.

In 2016, a developer bought the parcel of property beside the Lenoir City Elementary school for $300,000.00. For whatever reason, a year later, 2017, the developer donated the land to the Foothills Land Conservancy. Then in January of 2022, Foothills Land Conservancy donated 16 acres of the land to Lenoir City.

After receiving the property, city officials voted to allow mayor Tony Aikens to enter into negations with LCUB Chairman, Tony Aikens, to do a land swap for the 16 acres with LCUB. Aikens got a heck of a deal for the city. The city and LCUB would swap properties and LCUB would pay the city $200,000.00 to boot. LCUB gave the city the 3.5 acres beside the Civitan Field on Nelson Street, where they plan to build the new training facility, and the city gave LCUB the 16 acres plus the $200,000.00 boot.

Now the city school board is looking to buy the 16 acres from LCUB estimating the value at $425,000.00. Surely, if the city school system needs the land LCUB would give it to the school board. It's all for the children.

How is it that Lenoir city officials are always involved in peculiar land deals?  

In 2016, a developer bought a certain parcel of property beside the Lenoir City Elementary school for $300,000.00. For whatever reason, a year later, 2017, the developer donated the land to the Foothills Land Conservancy. Then in January of 2022, Foothills Land Conservancy donated 16 acres of the land to Lenoir City. This is where the fun starts.

After receiving the property, city officials voted to allow mayor Tony Aikens to enter into negations to do a land swap for the 16 acres with LCUB. The

Lenoir City Council Minutes 1/24/22

So the city council, who is also the majority of the LCUB board, voted to have Mayor Aikens, who is also the chairman of the LCUB board to negotiate with the LCUB board for the land swap. Want to guess how the negations turned out?

Being the master negotiator that apparently mayor Aikens is, he got a heck of a deal for the city. The city and LCUB would swap properties and LCUB would pay the city $200,000.00 to boot.

According to the city property appraisals, the 16 acre is valued at $180,500.00 and the Nelson Street property is valued at $73,700.00.

Not sure why the Foothills Land Conservancy didn't just donate the property to LCUB. Could have saved the rate payers a lot of money.

I have written several times over the years how LCUB is the cash cow for the city. This year, LCUB is budgeted to donate more than four million dollars to the city general fund budget. Not including the easy 200k pick up on the land swap. Without the LCUB donation every year, Lenoir City government would be so far in the hole, they couldn't see out.

It makes me feel warm all over to know that every time I pay my electric bill, I'm helping prop up what is Lenoir City government. 

16 Acres Donated To The City

3.51 Acres LCUB Swapped with 200k Boot