Non-Profit organizations are set to collect $1.6 Million from Sevier County this fiscal year. This number is up from the $1.2 Million the county authorized last year. At the most recent County Commission meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to approve this year's increase.
At the same meeting, commissioners voted to increase property taxes that would add over $2.3 Million to the county coffers. Some area land owners feel as if they are bearing the load for the increased funding for non-profit groups.
Jack Doan, a longtime resident of Seymour, noted that if he wanted to contribute to a charity he would like to choose it. He went on to say, "...why was it necessary to raise our taxes to fund this? I heard it was for the schools, but from the sound of it it was for someone's pet project(s)."
Some non-first responder organizations getting the larger sums include: Keep Sevier Beautiful $21,000, Sevier County Fair Grounds $65,000, Boys and Girls Club $84,000, Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center $20,000, Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministries $17,725, Sevier County Economic Development Council $120,000 and Partners in Progress $40,000.
The Complete list of funded request are listed below:
| Organization | Requested | Funded |
| Area Fire Departments | $304,000 | $898,000 |
| Civil Air Patrol | $5,000 | $4,000 |
| Rescue Squad | $90,000 | $90,000 |
| Human Society | $80,000 | $80,000 |
| Child and Family Services | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| Crippled Children Services | $4,958 | $4,958 |
| Douglas Cooperative | $25,000 | $22,500 |
| Sevier County Children's Shelter | $25,000 | $20,000 |
| Mountain Hope Clinic | $40,000 | $35,000 |
| Parenting Program | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Safespace | $16,000 | $16,000 |
| UT Hearing and Speech Clinic | $14,872 | $12,302 |
| Womens Care Center | $4,500 | $4,500 |
| Keep Sevier Beautiful | $21,000 | $21,000 |
| Heritage Museum | $0 | $2,500 |
| Sevier County Fair Grounds | $65,000 | $65,000 |
| Seymour Community Citizens Association | $32,000 | $3,500 |
| Various Organizations | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Sevier County 4-H Clubs | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Sevier County Beekeepers Assoc | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Dept of Agriculture | $0 | $1,000 |
| Smoky Mountain Visitor Center | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| American Red Cross | $500 | $500 |
| Arrowmount School of Arts and Crafts | $10,000 | $2,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club | $100,000 | $84,000 |
| Camps for Blind Children and Adults | $5,000 | $1,000 |
| C.R.O.S.S. | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Douglas-Cherokee Economic Auth | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| East Tennessee Information (211) | $0 | $6,500 |
| ETDD | $5,694 | $5,700 |
| ETHRA | $0 | $11,000 |
| Leadership Sevier | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center | $50,000 | $20,000 |
| Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministries | $17,725 | $17,725 |
| United Way | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Sevier County Development Council | $120,000 | $120,000 |
| Partners in Progress | $40,000 | $40,000 |
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User Comments
Ouch! My backside is sore. What ascrewing we all just got by the STUCK ON STUPID Group of County Corruption Commission!
We have a violent history of corruption and lawlessness and it is all right here to see:
http://www.sevierlibrary.org/
Take a look sometime!
I'm over these money hungry government workers! It's time to take our government back and it starts at a local level. Lets start investigating these thief's and see how many friends pockets are getting padded.
Government waste is running wild with little accountability.
These are all worthy organizations but they should NOT be supported by taxpayers dollars. I can choose my own charities. It sounds a bit like... "Taxation without representation"??
What politician gets to choose which charities get my tax dollars?
If I want to donate money to charity, it's my decision. I don't think local politicians should be able to dole out taxpayer funds to charity.
One of the oldest documents in this country is a petition. It is called the Declaration of Independance. Mr Meyers if you want to draw one up I will put my signature on it so big that Governor Bredesen and John Bull can see it with out their glasses and Junh Bull has been dead for over 200 years now. We need to unite and fight and go to Nashville and raise the devil if need be!
Take a look at this! We have been a gang community since 92. That's 1892 and they even had gang sign language. Our politicians are nothing more than a lawless gang of thugs!
http://www.sevierlibrary.org/genealogy/w...
The fire departments and Rescue Squad get $988,000 of this money. That is not near enough money for the operating cost, which they have to make up somewhere else. If not for that money the emergency services around here would be very limited. If not for the volunteers we would have to pay someone to do what they do. To pay them would mean HIGHER TAXES!!!!
I agree that our volunteer first responders need more funding --I'm not so sure about the Sevier County Development Council or Partners in Progress, though.
they were going to cut 30 something teachers without this increase
If Patrick Henery got upset with taxation without representation he should see what happened with taxation with repsentation. Good Ole Boy representation that is!
Maybe the time has come to just throw all corrupt politicians in Douglas Lake!
If a politician were to cut 30 teachers, they would be out of office so fast, their heads would spin.
When in doubt, threaten the masses!
It seems to have worked!
What happened to all the new development and tourists paying for the necesities for the people in Sevier county
I see where the Seymour Community Citizens Association had their hand out wanting $32,000.00 and they got $3,500.00 I bet some of the ones here fussing about taxes being raised are members of that association.
I think that either way those who voted for the tax increase without honestly expolring other avenues prior to their vote should look to do other things besides govern come the next election. There could have been any number of avenues for funding other than raising property taxes and our so-called representation once again took the easy way out.
What is the Seymour Community Citizens Association and what do they do?
It should be noted that Seymour's very own Bryan Delius voted against the property tax increase and asked some of the very same questions on this thread.
He did, however, propose a wheel tax to fund future shortfalls in education funds.
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