Taxing Hypocrisy

County Commissioner Merrol Hyde likes to tell the public that he's against higher taxes. He says that schools and other departments can get along just fine without additional county revenue, they just need to manage their budgets better.

Of course, this is coming from the former County Commission Chairman who presided over one of the worst examples of "borrow and spend" economics in Sumner County history. Rather than raise revenue or budget conservatively, the Commission under Hyde simply raided reserve funds time and again to the point where Sumner County was on the verge of financial insolvency until the current Commission righted the ship.

Hyde has conveniently forgotten the reckless spending of his past, however, and now claims to be a champion of the taxpayers. And by champion, he means the guy who would never, ever raise taxes, no matter how great the cause.

Hyde probably doesn't think too many people remember the not-so-distant past. But, a perusal of County Commission minutes reveals that on 7 occasions on a single night, County Commissioner Merrol Hyde voted for a tax increase.

On August 18th, 2003, the County Commission was faced with a Director of Schools who had presented a budget that required additional funds. Funds not generated by the current level of taxes. Other department heads made similar claims -- that they simply couldn't operate under existing revenue.

The Director of Sumner County Schools in August of 2003 was Merrol Hyde, who also happened to be serving on the County Commission at that time.

Hyde joined a group of Commissioners who pushed for, and ultimately won adoption of, a 45 cent increase in taxes.

On that night, Hyde voted for tax increases of 46 cents, 55 cents, 40 cents, 47 cents, 47 cents, 45 cents, and a final vote for the 45 cent increase that passed. 

It should be noted that each one of those votes would have taken the tax rate above the 2015 rate of $2.50.

Hyde now says the Director of Schools should work harder to trim the budget. But back when he was Director, he had no problem asking his County Commission buddies to raise taxes. He even supported the highest tax increase proposed, 55 cents.

So, in the first months after Hyde's failed leadership, tax rates are lower than rates he's approved of in the past, the era of bailouts has ended, and schools and county departments can move forward on sound footing. Oh, and Sumner County still has one of the lowest tax rates of any county in middle Tennessee.

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