JOHN COFFELTEditor

The Manchester Finance Committee has recommended to the Board of Mayor and Alderman funding $1.5 million for the purchase of 85-acres of land in partnership with Manchester City Schools.

The recommendation was made during the committee’s regular meeting Oct. 9.

The funds would come over the course of two city budget cycles, and Manchester City Schools will be responsible to fund the remaining half of the nearly $2.9 million purchase price for the property.

Located adjacent to Batesville Casket Company on Monogard Drive, the city would retain 15 acres of the property for a potential new police station.

During the Oct. 3 BOMA work session the school system brought the request to the city, along with two preliminary building options, a $12 million buildout to Westwood Middle School and a much larger $60-75 million new middle school.

Mayor Marilyn Howard said during the meeting that Manchester City Schools facilities are at capacity now and that the $12 million WMS project is looming.

“I understand about the land, but you have to look at what is need now,” Howard said. “It sounds like $12 million is needed (right now).”

Howard suggested the schools purchase the property outright, then the city contribute $1.5 million to a building project. That way would be a cleaner way to purchase and deed the property.

Vice Mayor Mark Messick questioned why $12 would be spent on Westwood Middle School and then even more money would then be spent to construct a new middle school.

“There’s a lot of talking to be done before anyone lays the first brick,” Messick said.

Overall, however, Messick judged the land purchase a bargain.

“If we don’t buy it…it won’t be there five or ten years from now when we need it, and there won’t be another 85 acres,” Messick said.

The recommendation passed unanimously at Finance. Messick requested that due to two aldermen planning to be absent at the November BOMA meeting, the matter be held to a later meeting. With only four members present, one no vote would keep the resolution from passing due to the need for a majority vote.

Now 10-years old, Coffee County Middle School was built in 2013 on the Woodbury Highway (2.4 miles from the planned site) for $24 million.

‘Impact fee’ pitched for school fund

The potential revenue of a so-called impact fee charged on new construction will not realistically fund the construction of a new school, but some Manchester aldermen see it as a way to offset some of the property tax rate increase that will be needed if the city builds a new middle school.

Vice Mayor Mark Messick said that instead of raising taxes something like 60 cents, the city could maybe raise taxes only 20 or 25 cents.

According to Messick’s estimates, about 100 houses built in the city a year, at 1500 square feet per house, a $2 per square foot impact fee would amount to $3,000 per new dwelling or $300,000 in additional revenue annually.

The $12 million Wetwood Middle buildout could add about $700,000 to the city’s annual loan payment.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.