by Heather Graf
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Members of Nashville's business community are still buzzing about Mayor Karl Dean's recently proposed tax hike. Now, they're taking a stand.
The very latest to speak out in opposition to Dean's 13% proposed increase is Lee Beaman, a prominent businessman who runs the Beaman Automotive Group.
"I wish the city would do like other families and businesses do, and learn to live within their means and not spend money when they don't know that they've got the revenue coming in to cover it," he said.
Beaman outlined his concerns in a letter to the editor, featured in last Sunday's Tennessean.
In it, he criticized Mayor Dean's proposal, calling it counter-productive, and saying it punishes the people who live and do business here.
"I think the better way of meeting a budget problem is to keep taxes as low as possible, to encourage more people and businesses to do business here in Nashville," he said. "And that broadens our tax base and increases our total tax revenues for the city."
At the same time as he and other business owners voice their opposition, though, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has given Dean's plan its endorsement.
"I mean, we've got issues of education that need to be worked on, issues of economic development, which is something the chamber considers very important," said Chamber Board Chairman Bert Mathews. "Ultimately for us, we looked at where the future of the city is going, what Partnership 2020 set out of those goals we wanted to accomplish, and they matched."
Mathews says the board also compared our tax rate to that of other cities in the Tennessee, and found even the increased rate is still very much competitive.
Mathews feels it will not keep business from coming here.
"If you look at our competitive cities in the state of Tennessee, we're lower than they are," he said.
The Chamber of Commerce voted to endorse Mayor Dean's plan after a specially-called meeting that the mayor attended, to answer any questions board members may have had.
Both Mayor Dean's proposed tax increase and his $1.71 billion dollar proposed budget will go before Metro Council next Tuesday, May 15th.
That will be the first of three readings needed to gain approval.
email: hgraf@newschannel5.com
