Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger and the mayors of the Hamilton County Small Cities Coalition are going to work together to increase the amount of sales tax the State of Tennessee returns to cities and counties.
“I have initiated conversations on the state shared sales tax issue,” said Coppinger. “Hamilton County is better served when we all work together. These mayors represent cities of Hamilton County, and their constituents are my constituents.”
In a meeting held in early December, Mayor Coppinger and State Sen. Bo Watson met with the mayors and city managers of the Coalition. During the two-hour meeting, it was agreed that the cities and Mayor Coppinger should join forces to work toward long-term corrections to the state revenue being returned to cities and counties.
“We agree that cities and counties deserve a bigger share of state revenues, and we will work together going forward to try to make that happen,” said Collegedale Mayor Katie Lamb on behalf of the Coalition.
Mayor Lamb pointed out that when the state shared sales tax was implemented in 1947, cities and counties received an 80-20 split of state revenues. Today, that percentage has decreased to a 91-9 split.
“This is the right time to examine all state revenue streams coming back to cities and counties, and to find a way to increase funding to counties, which provide state-mandated services, and to cities, which are the economic engines of the state,” said Coppinger.
Source: Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger