Poll for Knox Co. residents only (Knoxville: credit card, house, schools)

[Kitties of Domination]

Would you support metro government consolidation?

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by Kitties of Domination

Would you support metro government consolidation?

Kitties, if you don't mind me offering some advice.... you might want to provide an explanation of what exactly metro government consolidation means as you understand it.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by SmokyMtnGal

Kitties, if you don't mind me offering some advice.... you might want to provide an explanation of what exactly metro government consolidation means as you understand it.

Yes. I read the news everyday, or try to, yet I know little about this subject. Also, are you including city residents in the dialogue?

[jabogitlu]

I would imagine that KoD is talking about a structure similar to that of the Nashville metro government.

I didn't vote, as I no longer live in Knox County/Knoxville City, but I think it has many benefits.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

I would imagine that KoD is talking about a structure similar to that of the Nashville metro government.

I didn't vote, as I no longer live in Knox County/Knoxville City, but I think it has many benefits.

I agree. It certainly helped Nashville. Before consolidation, Nashville and Knoxville were roughly the same size. After Nashville consolidated with Davidson County, its economy really started to take off.

In theory (and this devil is in the details) a consolidated city-county government means a streamlining of government bureaucracy which should lead to lower taxes and better services. In theory.

Right now, if a corporation wants to locate to Knoxville, they have to deal with two local bodies of government. In Nashville there's just one.

Technically, when a city and county consolidate, the city officially ceases to exist; the city gives up its charter and is absorbed into the county.

At any rate, I'm all for it. I believe polls have shown that Knoxville city residents are generally for consolidation since it means their property taxes will probably be lowered, but rural Knox County residents are generally against consolidation because their property taxes will probably be raised--although their level of services (fire, police, garbage, etc.) will also increase.

[William Sold]

As an ex city-liver, now moved out to the far reaches of county, I would definitely support metro consolidation. I would love to have the extra benefits provided under the city umbrella policy. County taxes for me will go up of course, but worth it.

[Kitties of Domination]

Originally Posted by SmokyMtnGal

Kitties, if you don't mind me offering some advice.... you might want to provide an explanation of what exactly metro government consolidation means as you understand it.

JMT summed it up fairly well. One government, one mayor, one police force, etc. Also, Knox Co. schools could possibly benefit from increased revenue. Maybe metro government could be a positive outcome from the whole county government fiasco. According to a recent poll, the gap appears to be closing between county and city residents (some 45% of county residents now support metro, quite a bit higher than it used to be).

[hiknapster]

It seems like a no brainer, don't you think?

[aquarijen]

Not really a no brainer to everyone. There are county residents who live in the county because they prefer to have less regulation. Like on livestock for instance - county residents can have chickens. I remember a discussion a couple months ago where a person came to CD to ask if folks would support hens (not roosters) in city limits and the city residents said, "no go out to the county for that..." There are a lot of my neighbors who have a cow or two. The allowed pet numbers are different, also.

Of course, to me, I found out that none of that actually ended up mattering all that much to me after all and so I bought a house in the city limits in order to take advantage of the better services.
Would taxes go down for those already inside city limits? No, I don't really think so since the infrastructure would have to be extended. City folks have things like KAT Bus lines - that would have to be extended better - more garbage trucks, etc - infrastructure costs a lot.

[knoxgarden]

I wouldn't support it unless Knox County government cleans up their act. There may be economies to be had, but based on what we've seen of the problems with county government -- credit cards, sherrif's office, contracting, cronyism in filling term-limited seats, etc. -- giving the current government control over city and county would be giving the fox the run of the chicken coup.
Clean up county government, then talk consolidation.