Time To Incorporate 3

Each year, the Tellico Village Property Owner Association, POA, hold board elections and almost without fail, there's always the debate among candidates about how the village should be receiving additional benefits from the county that the rest of county residents do not receive. It goes like this, the village pays so much property taxes to the county, they the POA should get some of it back.

Tellico Village is actually just a private subdivision, all be it a large one, governed by a property owners association, POA. As with any organization of this size, the Village faces certain financial challenges. Most of their revenues to operate and maintain village streets and amenities comes from POA fees. In the beginning, the POA fee was a paltry $25 per month. Those fees have now ballooned to more than $139.48 per month and going up again this year. The POA fee increases 5% each year. Apparently this still isn't enough to maintain the level of services expected in the Village. Many, if not most, of Village property owners are annually paying more in POA fees than they pay in county property taxes.

If Tellico Village wants to have more money, there's an easy way, incorporate, become a city.

For more than thirty years, Tellico Village has been a part of Loudon County. The Village came to be back in the mid eighties and has been consistently growing to now be one of the largest communities in the county.  

Incorporating into an independent city would immediately open revenue streams for the Village that will never be available to them in their current form. They could eliminate the POA fee and implement a modest property tax. As a city, they would also be entitled to state and federal grants and revenues and in time, sales taxes generated in the Village and be a tax exempt. The Village would become the second largest city in the county with around 7,000 residents.

The Property Owners Association is the governing body of Tellico Village. The seven board members are elected to their positions by village property owners each year, serving staggered terms. Every property owner can vote in the POA elections no matter where they live. The POA board hires a general manager to manage the day to day affairs of the village. Currently, that manager is a fellow named Winston Blazer. Mr. Blazer's compensation package is approximately $225,000.00 per year. Mr. Blazer does not live in the village nor does he own property in the village or Loudon County for that matter.

If the village were to incorporate, they would be entitled to state and federal revenues just like any other city. They could end the POA fees and institute a reasonable, city property tax, like Lenoir City and Loudon do, that could be lower than the POA fee. They would have locally elected officials, elected by actual residents of the village and eliminate the POA manager position all together. Maybe that's the opposition to incorporation? There's just no down side to to incorporation for village residents.

Tellico Village has a wealth of individuals with background and knowledge on how to begin the process of incorporating. Certainly there would be obstacles and challenges in such a process, but no doubt it can be done. It took individuals of vision and determination to bring Tellico Village to where it is today. It will take a new generation of individuals of vision and determination to take Tellico Village to the next level. 

Tellico Village is an important part of Loudon County, but no more or no less important than Lenoir City, Loudon, Eaton Crossroads, Greenback, Philadelphia, Tennessee National, Rarity Pointe and so on.  It's past time for Tellico Village to take the next step in it's evolution and become a bona fide city and for the POA to stop looking for the rest of the county tax payers to fund their operations. 

Tellico Village has long outgrown their meager subdivision status. The Village is kind of like the thirty year old son still living in his parents basement. It's time to grow up and live on their own. It's time to incorporate. It's time for Tellico Village to take it's place at the table of local government.

Tellico Village Historical Timeline

September 1984 Cooper Communities Inc. (CCI) proposes to develop Tellico Village

December 1985 CCI acquires site from Tennessee Valley Authority and Tellico Reservoir Development Agency

December 1985 Property Owners Association (POA) formed

January 1986 Actual development begins

March 1986 First home site sold

July 1986 First building permit issued

November 1986 First 1,000 property owners

February 6, 1987 First family moves to Tellico Village

July 1987 Toqua Golf Course opens

December 1987 59 families in Tellico Village

March 1988 Community Church organized

October 1988 Yacht and Country Club opens

December 1988 Chota Recreation Center opens

January 1989 HomeOwners Association formed

June 1991 1,000th resident

Spring 1994 Village Square commercial area opens

June 1996 Tanasi Golf Course opens

June 1998 POA purchases land for future facilities

July 2000 Estimated population reaches 4,000

May 2002 First Baptist Church of Tellico Village open

August 2002 CCI deeded Kahite golf course and activity center to POA at The Links at Kahite grand opening

May 2003 The Neighborhood long-term care facility at Tellico Village opens

May 2006 Family Beach and Pavilion opens

July 2007 Wellness Center opens, first amenity built and paid for by the POA

June 2008 New HAR-TRU tennis courts open near Wellness Center

December 2008 Food Lion Supermarket and Tellico Greens shopping area opens

November 2012 Public Library at Tellico Village opens new 6442 square foot facility

2012 Tellico Village observes 25th Anniversary celebrating 25 years since the first families moved into the Village

May 2012 United States Department of Interior recognizes the East Lakeshore Trail system as part of the country’s National Trail system

November 2012 Public Library at Tellico Village opens new 6442 square foot facility

January 2013 Community re-launches the Tellico Village brand via a national marketing effort

June, July, October 2014 New amenities are opened: Pickleball Complex, Toqua Golf Pavilion, and Kayak Launch and Storage Facility

June 2015 Paved Wellness Center walking path with exercise stations donated by the Tellico Village Lions Club opened for community use

September 2015 Welcome Center opens; facility dedicated to servicing Tellico Village visitors and facilitating Tellico Village tours

For more information, download a narrative of the Village’s history.

History-Tellico-Village.pdf

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11/9/20