By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–At a busy and lengthy meeting Thursday night, the Paris City Commission approved a proposal to raise the city’s property tax by eight cents for the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year and heard drainage concerns from a large contingent of residents of the Deer Creek Estates Subdivision.
After lengthy discussion and a couple of votes on the proposal and an amendment, commissioners voted 3-2 to raise the tax rate by eight cents (or 80 cents per $100 of assessed value). Voting yes were Mayor Carlton Gerrell, John Etheridge and Gayle Griffith. Voting no was Jackie Jones and sam Tharpe.
During the discussion Gerrell said he would be in favor of upping the monies allocated for paving projects in the city. City Manager Kim Foster said the paving budget already was increased considerably.
The preliminary budget was approved on the first reading and Foster will present new figures based on the new proposed tax rate at the next meeting.
Ten residents of the Deer Creek Estates Subdivision were on hand to discuss continuing problems they have with flooding and drainage on their properties. Larry Woodard said he has lived there for 14 years and it has only been a problem for the last two. “It’s gotten really drastic in the last couple of years and I don’t know what has happened to cause that. This is something we can’t live with. Something has to be done.”
Woodard brought photos of the problem areas and said that local engineer Patrick Smith has already looked at it.
City officials also have examined the properties, Gerrell said. “We’re aware of what’s going on, but we just have to figure out exactly what can be done.”
Foster said the people who have looked at it “can’t seem to come to a consensus” and that part of the problem is that there isn’t much that the city can do, since the properties don’t belong to the city.
After lengthy discussion, Foster asked the residents if they would be willing to give an easement to the city to install a chamber underground to deal with the drainage. Jerry Strain said he would be willing to do that and others in the group also gave their assent.
In other business:
–Commissioners on first reading an addition to the city building codes that would address the issue of “Tiny Houses”, which are becoming more and more popular.
Building Codes Inspector Lowell Schrader said he has been approached by “a dozen or more people who are interested” in constructing tiny houses in the city limits. He noted tiny houses would require different building codes than other modern houses (including materials used for construction). The proposed addition to the codes would provide city building inspectors with more leeway in approving tiny houses.
Photo: Larry Woodard addresses the city commission on flooding/drainage issues. (Shannon McFarlin photo)