Beginning in January, the state's Department of Revenue will collect business taxes instead of the local governments collecting the taxes.
"It's going to be a major adjustment for businesses," Sweetwater City Recorder Jessica Morgan said during Monday night's December Sweetwater Mayor and Board of Commissioners meeting.
Because of that, the City of Sweetwater is offering free classes to businesses to help them adapt to the new business tax collection system. The classes will be held at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7 at City Hall.

Morgan said businesses in the Sweetwater city limits will have first priority, however other businesses in the county are welcome to come if space is available.
In his mayor's report, Mayor Doyle Lowe said the new Goody's clothing store has said it plans to come back to Sweetwater. Store officials confirmed last week the clothing store is planning to come back to Sweetwater in March.

The original Goody's closed its clothing stores earlier this year, however Specialty Retailers Inc., a subsidiary of Stage Stores, purchased the Goody's trademark months later and has begun opening Goody's stores in some of the previous locations, including Dayton and Rogersville.
In an e-mail, Stage Stores said it is working on a lease for a location on New Highway 68, believed to be the same place as the old store, however the location has not been confirmed.

The mayor thanked city departments for all their hard work helping with the Small Town Christmas event Nov. 28, the Veterans Day and Christmas parades along with the tribute provided to National Guard soldiers as they left for Camp Shelby, Miss., on Sunday.

Lowe received a letter from state Sen. Randy McNally, R- Lenoir City, who said a public hearing will likely be held early next year on the proposed two-phased Highway 322 project from Sweetwater to Highway 72 near Vonore.

Lowe has been pushing for an update on the project that has moved at a snail's pace.
"It's TDOT's intent to deliver these to construction as funding becomes available," McNally said in his letter to the mayor.
In his letter, McNally also said the fact that Monroe County already has a visitors center in Tellico Plains would not prohibit the county/city from applying for grant funds for a stand-alone visitors center in Sweetwater.

However, grant funds are tight for such projects, McNally said, though he said he would be willing to write a letter of support for the project.
In other business, commissioners approved the Sweetwater Valley Citizens for the Arts' recommendation for Jane McGuire to be the SVCA's new coordinator to replace Sarah Payne.
Police Commissioner Bill Stockton said SPD's toy drive will serve more than 200 families this year.
The commission approved a resolution that will allow the Sweetwater Utilities Board to borrow funds through a bond issue for a multi-million dollar new sewer plant.

SUB General Manager Robert Bettis after the meeting said SUB will open bids for the new plant, which is to be built on the site of the current plant, by Jan. 15.

tommy.millsaps@advocateanddemocrat.com | 337-7101