Just last week, we discussed the ridiculous Rain Tax the mayor/council passed. The Rain Tax was passed supposedly to keep from having to raise property taxes. Well, guess what, just a little over a year ago, July 2021, at mayor Aikens recommendation, the council passed a fourteen cent or seventeen percent property tax increase.

Back in 2018, the council voted for a major increase in city sales tax. Fortunately, the council couldn't pass that on their own. The sales tax increase went to the voters and was soundly defeated. Then there was the time they voted for the gas tax increase. They voted unanimously to support the state's gas tax increase. It was passed by the state and now we all pay more for gas.  

Unlike Lenoir city officials, Loudon raised their property taxes in 2019, but it was for a specific purpose, paving streets, and just six cents and it will be eliminated when the street paving is done, or so they say. 

The Lenoir City mayor/council property tax increase was more than doubled Loudon city's with no hint of what it was for and you can be assured, it will never go away.

While the mayor/council is raising everybody's property taxes, they have given certain developers millions of dollars in tax breaks through PILOTS, Payment In Lieu Of Taxes. Five year, ten year and even twenty year property tax breaks. So when developers don't have to pay their taxes, guess who has to make that up? You, the city property owners.

Obviously the mayor/council have no intention of stopping their tax and spend policies. As long as things stay the same, things will stay the same.