Artist Rendering Of The Proposed Lenoir City High School And Interior Of The Gym
New School
Artist Rendering Of The Proposed Lenoir City High
School And Interior Of The Gym
| In 1964, 60 years to the day, Lenoir City residents
were embroiled in the hot debate of whether the city should pass a 1%
sales tax to fund the new proposed high school. The citizens of the city
were split almost evenly on the issue. Proponents of the tax claimed the
necessity of the new school to meet the needs of the growing schools and
over crowded conditions in the other schools as reason to support the
tax. Opponents of the tax claimed the location, so far out of town with
no transportation and the massive cost of the new school, $1,500.000.00,
as reasons to oppose the tax. The 1% sales tax would have to be passed by the voters to become effective and if passed, Lenoir City would be the first city in the state to pass any local option sales tax. The additional revenue from the tax was expected to generate at least $75,000.00 per year, enough to pay the 30 year loan on the cost of the school. At that time, non resident, property owners could also vote in city elections. People on both sides of the issue felt passionate for and against the tax. Even Cas Walker weighed in on opposition to it. Ultimately, on March 10th, 1964, the voters approved the tax by a slim 86 vote majority with 794 voting for the tax and 708 voting against the tax. Some things never change.
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1/15/24
