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Mayor Ragsdale has some room to maneuver

by Frank Cagle

Some cynical columnist recently observed that County Mayor Mike Ragsdale has been taking stupid pills. Evidently he has stopped.

Last week the wheel tax was a certain loser in November. Now it’s 50-50. Last week Ragsdale faced the possibility that his budget would not be funded and that he would spend the next two years slashing programs and limping into re-election, mortally wounded. Now he will have the funds either way and has an opportunity to make his case.

The jury is still out on Ragsdale, but with the County Commission meeting last week he may have turned the corner. Commissioners voted to install a property tax if the wheel tax is repealed. The stage is now set for Knox County voters to decide whether they want a wheel tax or a property tax increase. While this seems at first blush to be further inflaming the anti-tax fervor that resulted in 25,000 signatures against the wheel tax, it ain’t necessarily so.

As we say in the political-hack journalism fraternity, time will tell.

Show of hands: How many people believe that County Commission came up with the idea to raise property taxes if the wheel tax doesn’t survive? How many people believe that commissioners came up with enough votes to pass the property tax without any help from Ragsdale’s office? Yeah. You’re right. But Ragsdale had a problem and he needed to deal with it. Sometimes you get slapped upside the head by the unexpected. That’s when you come through stronger or you leave to pursue other interests.

The steam driving the anti-wheel tax movement is slowly escaping. There was a rage against the establishment that saw an overwhelming vote against a convention center hotel. It was up or down. For or against. In the case of this referendum, it’s name your poison. A voter doesn’t have the luxury of voting against a tax. It’s a choice. Voters now are in the position of figuring up which tax hurts them the least. The anger at Commission and Ragsdale might still be there, but the target for anti-tax rage has changed. It’s not cut and dried anymore. There may even be a backlash against the referendum organizers.

There will be some criticism about how Ragsdale has managed his budget and the taxes to fund it. There is ample opportunity to talk about woulda, coulda, shoulda, but time will pass. Regardless of the validity of those criticisms, the fact remains that a new school is needed in West Knox County. The county has to come up with $6 million for the veterans’ nursing home. County employees and deputies need a raise. Local groups needs grant money. There are branch libraries and senior centers in the budget. These constituencies are all out there. It will be up to Ragsdale to motivate these people to rally to his cause. He needs to let them make the case for him.

The wise thing at this point is to step back. Regardless of what happens on election day this November, Ragsdale will have the money to carry through his budget. He has two years to sell the populace on the idea that he was right and that they are getting value for their money. The Commission meeting last week banked the fires. Ragsdale’s administration needs to avoid fanning the coals back into a flame.

For the commissioners who expended political capital to save Ragsdale’s budget, it would be extremely helpful for them if the school board would move with alacrity to start new schools in Gibbs and West Knox County. A groundbreaking between now and November would be very helpful. And there needs to be pictures of something before August of 2006.

The most lasting consequence of the wheel tax mess may be Ragsdale’s relationship with Commission. He got 16 votes for the wheel tax. His support on Commission now and for the foreseeable future is diminished. It will take some work to get back a comfortable majority.

The wheel tax mess was certainly a factor in the inconclusive vote for a new Commission chairman last week. Incumbent David Collins, a Ragsdale ally, is being challenged by Scott Moore. Due to the absence of Commissioner Larry Stephens, it was a nine-nine tie. There will be another vote at the next meeting.

Though there are other factors at work, Collins’ opposition is fueled by commissioners mad about the heat they are taking for backing his tax proposal. Some of them are angry with Chief of Staff Mike Arms. Some of them are angry with Collins for being a Ragsdale ally.

Ragsdale has a lot of work to do to get back to where he was. It would still be better for him if the wheel tax is not repealed. But he has a much better chance to recover his political future this week than last.

Frank Cagle is a political analyst and the host of Sound Off on WIVK FM107.7, WNOX AM990, FM99.1 and FM99.3 each Sunday 8-9:30 a.m. The program is pre-empted this week by analysis and coverage of the Vols versus Florida football game.

September 16, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 38 © 2004 Metro Pulse