RESEARCH

By Justin Owen SEVIERVILLE – The Tennessee Center for Policy Research (TCPR) will name the City of Sevierville as the 2008 “Most Business-Friendly City in Tennessee” in a ceremony later today. The award is based on the results of TCPR’s annual report on the business climate of the state’s 50 largest cities. The study, which will be released in its entirety later this week, scores each city in three categories that reflect a city’s commitment to encouraging business success and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit: Business Tax Burden, Business Development Climate and Community Vitality. Sevierville topped the ranking in two of the study’s three categories, Business Tax Burden and Business Development Climate, to edge the 2007 Business-Friendly champion, Spring Hill, for the overall 2008 title. “In recent years, Sevierville has shown an unmatched commitment to creating an economic climate that is both welcoming to new business and nourishing to existing enterprise,” said TCPR President Drew Johnson. According to Johnson, Sevierville’s competitive business property tax rate, the lowest of any city in Tennessee with a population of more than 10,000, was a primary reason for the City’s success in the study. In the past year, entrepreneurs made the most of Sevierville’s low tax rate by launching nearly 200 new businesses in the City, creating thousands of new jobs for the area and stimulating the economy of Sevier County. “This award is a reflection of Sevierville’s commitment to creating a business-friendly climate free of stifling taxes and restrictive regulatory burdens,” Johnson said. “We applaud the elected officials and business leaders of Sevierville and Sevier County for earning the distinction as Tennessee’s Most Business-Friendly City.” Johnson will present a plaque commemorating the distinction to Sevierville Mayor Bryan Atchley, who will accept the award on behalf of the City during the annual Smoky Mountain Winterfest “Music, Lights & Magic” Celebration tonight. ###