Isbell Faces Questions Over Using Tax Dollars for Politics

Hendersonville News first reported on this site in late January that Sumner County Tax Assessor John Isbell is using his publicly-funded official website for political purposes. Now, local TV station Fox 17 has picked up the story, asking Isbell to justify his actions.

Here's an excerpt from the Fox 17 story:

Log on to the Sumner County web page for Assessor of Property John Isbell and you'll find a link for more information about the recent property tax reappraisal.
That page is attracting criticism from Sumner County residents like Dan Wright who feel its content amounts to a political attack on the public's dime.
"Absolutely it's political yeah. From what I see it's political defense," said Wright.
The part Wright believes is political involves direct attacks towards County Executive Anthony Holt calling him a "Pro-Tax Increase Bureaucrat."
The page also accuses Holt of holding "secret meetings" and "wasting taxpayer dollars" and towards the end of the page accuses him of conduct that's akin to "the worst kind of public servant."

Isbell doesn't deny that the words are his. He only says he's posting what he sees as "the truth."

In 2014, Isbell came under fire for irregularities in the Sumner County Tax assessment. Rather than admit any mistakes, Isbell has chosen to attack those he perceives as political enemies, apparently even using a taxpayer-funded website to do so.

Since at least January of 2015, Isbell has posted explicitly political messages on his official, taxpayer-funded website. He's not taking them down - he's letting the taxpayers foot the bill.

As the 2016 election for Tax Assessor approaches, will Isbell continue to use taxpayer money for political gain?

For more on news in Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Quality of Life vs. Schools?

That's what Fox 17 News seems to be pitching in their story on the Liquor By the Drink funds going from the City of Hendersonville to Sumner County Schools. 

Check the video and you'll note that the piece opens with this statement:

 "And some money that could go to improving your way of life will now have to be sent to schools."  

Not sure what, exactly, they're trying to do here.  Pit citizens of Hendersonville against the very same school system that educates their children? Or suggest to taxpayers that somehow the negotiated settlement is a raw deal for them -- even though the money benefits the school system that, again, educates the children of families in Hendersonville? Maybe they want to create conflict in a story where a reasonable solution between two governing bodies has been reached - now, that does seem rare in Sumner County. 

But to suggest that the quality of life in a community is somehow divorced from the quality of its public schools is just downright wrong.  Strong schools are the backbone of any community. And when two governing bodies reach a reasonable solution to a tricky issue, that should be cause for praise, not invented conflict.