It’s back
The Civic Arts Center is rearing its head again:
A civic arts center, presumed dead after a 10-10 vote last month, will get new life at the Blount County Commission meeting next week.
Commissioners John Keeble and Jeff McCall have resurrected the center with a resolution that would designate the county’s share of the hotel/motel tax to the debt service fund. That money then would be used to pay for the county’s portion of the project.
A separate resolution, rejected Nov. 17 because it did not get the 11 votes needed to pass, would authorize the Industrial Development Board to issue a $45 million, 25-year bond to pay for the $55 million facility. The county would be responsible for $11.9 million, while the other funding would come from Maryville College ($20 million), Maryville ($9.4 million), the federal government ($8 million), Alcoa ($3.8 million) and the state ($2 million).
Those are just principal payments, however. With interest, the civic arts center would cost the county some $25 million, Finance Director David Bennett said in a telephone interview Thursday.
Still, the county is the only entity that has not approved its funding. The agreement hinges on all partners giving the plan the go-ahead.
The powers that be are damned determined to get this boondoggle going.
December 9th, 2005 at 1:29 pm
That did not take long.
December 10th, 2005 at 1:31 am
That’s true Uncle, I think the public should demand to see the plan to repay the debt before any tax dollars go towards this waste. How about sumthin reely dum… like giving the teachers a raise or at least put money into the school system so teachers can do their jobs. Why not assure that we have the best schools and roads before something that will obviously not bring revenue to the area. I can see the agenda:
May 8th 2010 The Walland book club will be meeting at the civic center for their annual reading of The Diary of Ann Frank, Mrs. Jenkins and all 5 members are expected to attend.
June 12th 2010 The Maryville collage orchestra will be playing at the civic center tonight, tickets $2.00, $3.00 at the time of the show.
You get the picture. Perhaps the money would be better served going into the schools and the Adult Entertainment boards annual ethics meeting…
BT