Yager Campaign Calls on Becky Ruppe and Tennessee Democrats to Stop Dishonest Attacks
HARRIMAN, TN – 12th District State Senate Candidate Ken Yager’s campaign called on Becky Ruppe and her Democrat allies in Nashville to immediately halt their dishonest attacks on Yager.
The recent ad released by the Tennessee Democratic Party is their latest attempt to smear Yager’s 24 year record of achievement as Roane County Executive. The ad falsely states that Yager raised taxes 45 percent during his tenure and left RoaneCounty with $45 million of debt. However, when Yager left office, RoaneCounty’s tax rate was lower than when he entered office. Also, Yager’s fiscal management improved RoaneCounty’s credit to an “A” rating. The National Federation of Independent Business has recognized Yager’s dedication to building a positive business environment and given him their endorsement in this race.
“The facts are clear: property tax rates in RoaneCounty were lower when Ken Yager left office than they were when he became CountyExecutive,” said Yager campaign manager Robert Kuykendall. “Ken spent his years in office working to bring high-paying jobs to RoaneCounty and improve the quality of life for all citizens. These distortions are an attempt to hide the fact that Becky Ruppe has been ineffective as Morgan County Executive and cannot hold candle to Ken’s experience and leadership.”
The property tax rate in Ruppe’s MorganCounty is 2.99, significantly higher than RoaneCounty’s current rate of 2.63. MorganCounty also has an unemployment rate of 8.1 percent which is higher than the State of Tennessee’s rate of 7 percent and much higher than RoaneCounty’s rate of 5.9 percent.
“Ken’s responsible management has brought millions of dollars in new investment into RoaneCounty, which, in turn, has brought many high paying jobs. The people of the 12th District want a State Senator who has the experience of bringing new jobs and industry to the area and will work for them to make these things happen in Nashville,” Kuykendall said.
