By Tabitha Evans Moore, EDITOR & PUBLISHER

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. (November 6, 2024) — It originally appeared on the August Presidential Primary and County General ballot and again yesterday on the 2024 Presidential Ballot and for a second time, Moore County voters have rejected a .25 of a percent sales tax increase by a margin of 975 votes. The final vote count on Tuesday was 2,234 against and 1,259 for the measure.

That’s a 63 percent to 36 percent margin – a slight increase on no votes based on totals since the last election. In March, 590 locals voted against, and 378 locals voted for the referendum. That’s a 60 percent to 39 percent margin. To read our complete coverage of the March election, click here.

Measure intended to reduce local property tax burden

The Metro Council voted in August 2023 to add the sales tax referendum to the March 2024 Presidential Primary and County General ballot. It would have increased the sales tax locals and tourists pay in our county from 9.5 percent to the state maximum of 9.75 percent.

The average combined tax rate in the state is 9.615 percent; however, nearly all of Tennessee local tax jurisdictions charge the maximum rate of 9.75 percent. In fact, Moore County is one of only a handful of local governments to charge less. To view a complete list of Tennessee tax rates, click here.

According to the state, two of the surrounding counties – Bedford and Coffee – already charge the state maximum of 9.75 percent. Frankin and Lincoln counties charge 9.5 percent. Seven percent of that number is state sale tax and 2.5 percent is local option sales tax.

According to the state, Moore County brought in $312,011 in state sales tax and $152,496 in local option sales tax in July of this year. Based on those numbers, the failure to pass the local option sales tax increase will cost Metro somewhere between $80,000 and $100, 000 in annual revenue.

Supporters of the sales tax referendum argued that without big box retail and with a tourism-based economy, the small sales tax increase would shift some of the local tax burden from local property taxpayers and onto the over 350,000 tourists who visit Lynchburg each year to visit The Jack Daniel Distillery.

Those opposed to the measure argued that with prices increasing across the globe on a variety of items, any new tax felt untenable.

Oher locals and state races

Moore County voters also elected Carrie Barnett to the Moore County School Board, District 2 seat. She beat Faye Keller by 43 votes. The final count was Barnett 257, Keller 214, and Jason Tucker 192.

Moore County voted to elect Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. The final count was Trump 3,060, Kamala Harris 542, Jay Bowman 10, Claudia De la Cruz 3, Robert Kennedy 30, and Jill Stein 9. There were 14 write in votes.

Moore County also re-elected Marsha Blackburn to the United States Senate. The final vote count was Blackburn 2,954, Gloria Johnson 545, Tharon Chandler 49, Pamela Moses 32, and Hastina Robinson 6. There were three write in votes.

Moore County also re-elected Scott DesJarlais to the U.S. House of Representatives. He received 2,894 votes compared to Victoria Broderick 491, Earnest Ensley 45, and Keith Nolan 7. There were also four write in votes.

Moore County sent Shane Reeves back to the Tennessee Senate. He beat E.R. Smith by a count of 3,010 to 489. There were three write in votes. Pat Marsh will also return to the Tennessee House of Representative, District 62. He ran unopposed.

As a reminder all these results are preliminary and not yet certified by the Tennessee Secretary of State. To see more state election results, click here. •

{The Lynchburg Times is a locally-owned and locally-operated community newspaper in Lynchburg, Tennessee and one of the few women-owned newspaper in the state. We publish new stories every day. If it happens in Lynchburg, you’ll read it here first. Click here to support us.}