The studious folks at Future of Oak Ridge have recently updated the information page on their website; if you have questions about this project and need to learn more before the June 5 election (early voting May 16-31), go now and read until you’re satisfied.

Once your questions are answered, if you think you’d like to help encourage others, sign up on the volunteer page — a little time and a little money from a lot of people goes a long way.  The passage or failure of this referendum stands to make a significant difference in Oak Ridge — for better or worse.  And, if you like this proposal and want to help, you should also come to a little gathering on Thursday.  It’ll be fun.

One part that I think many people don’t fully understand is the impact that sales taxes have on education.  The way that Tennessee’s tax system is structured, half of all local-option sales taxes go directly to education.  Do not pass City Council, do not collect County Commissioners.  It’s divvied up between all the school systems in the county where the revenue is collected, according to student enrollment.  So, if Crestpointe is built, Anderson County Schools will get about twice as much money as Oak Ridge Schools, because they have about twice as many students.

The flip side of that is, when the new Wal-Mart opens in Clinton at I-75, Oak Ridge Schools will get our share of sales taxes collected there.  And, since it’s right on the interstate, we’ll be collecting from a lot of folks besides just those who live here — a lot of new dollars there, too!

I’m looking forward to today’s edition of the Observer.  Last week, they had great coverage of the School Board candidates; this week, I think it will be City Council.  Since there are about seven running, I’ll be interested to see what the candidates have to say for themselves, along with where they stand on things like school funding, growth and development.  I sure don’t want to lose what Oak Ridge has historically been — with ample parks, greenbelts, large yards and lots of trees — but nor do I want us to be closed to growth.

We need new residents (their homes are being built now); we need new businesses — particularly retail — to improve the health and stability of our tax base.  We don’t need a whole lot of new jobs for the sake of numbers, but the right kind of jobs should certainly be courted and welcomed.   We need a City Council that supports our priorities, not a roadblock to any new development that might cut down a dandelion, nor requirements to count trees or for all new homes to be on postage-stamp lots.