Louisville raising private funds for new town hall

By Iva Butler
of The Daily Times Staff

Louisville citizens are trying to raise private funds to match an anonymous grant to build a $1.1 million town hall and community center.

The project will be discussed at the Louisville Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Louisville Mayor Geraldine Anderson has appointed a Building Committee to oversee the project.

Steve Carico is chairman and the other members are Gene Haun, Darrell Dillard, Pam Dorsey, Louisville Vice Mayor Bob Ghormley and Travis Loope.

An anonymous donor issued a $250,000 challenge grant. The donor will provide $50,000 a year for five years and the town must raise the matching amount.

The Louisville Board of Mayor and Aldermen appropriated $551,000 in the current fiscal budget for the town hall building.

Jere Ingram, who sits on Louisville Planning Commission, said, "I heard the rumor we had a matching grant and several of us citizens talked about how to raise the money to match the $250,000 pledge. We met and laid a plan with a professional campaign manager who is helping us at no charge. Six or seven citizens first met and got his advice."

Ingram said citizens started contacting potential donors on April 18. A brochure and pledge card were developed and in three weeks confirmed pledges of $153,000 over the next five years were obtained. The group also has several other verbal commitments that are pending, he added.

The secretary/treasurer of the concerned citizens group is Debbie Walsh.

Before any money can be spent on the town hall, the Louisville Board of Mayor and Aldermen will have to approve it and a public hearing held on the issue, said Mayor Anderson.

"Everybody has long known we need a better place to hold meetings and visit," Planning Commissioner Tom Bickers said. "The people in the community have a vision of better things. The center would not just be a civic center, but also a center for cultural and recreational purposes."

"To do that costs money and we are blessed in this town by having people willing to give their own money to make that vision possible," he added.

"Lately we've found a lot to fight about in this town. Why don't we find something we can be in favor of. I don't want this to turn into something political," Bickers said.

A time line of activities up until this point was provided by Anderson.

In October 2006 the town paid off its $244,000 bond issue on the town equipment building and fire hall. Building a town hall was next on the agenda.

Also in October 2006, a person, who wants to remain anonymous, contacted Anderson and asked how much money the building would cost.

Anderson said she told the person $250,000 to $300,000, which the other two buildings cost 10 years ago.

In June 2007 the Louisville Board of Mayor and Aldermen budgeted $551,000 for the project.

The donor asked for and was given the old plans for the town hall that were drawn up when the other two buildings were erected. They also asked for and were given updated drawings and updated costs in November or December 2007, Anderson said.

Forms showing the financial standing of the town were also provided.

At that time the donor issued a $250,000 challenge grant that has to be matched by public donations, not taken from city coffers.

According to the brochure, the town hall/community center's projected cost is $1,140,000. Town savings would be $551,000, including $250,000 from the challenge grant and $338,900 from the fundraising campaign.

Ingram estimated the construction would start "sometime in the fall."

Anderson said the town hall will likely be financed the way the equipment building and town hall were built. The Tennessee Municipal League has already been contacted about lending the town the money, Anderson said.