I've wanted a piano for a while now but missed out on this deal. I have wondered if operating costs of the new online muni auctions like Nashville's ebid site were worth what they brought in. Maybe not. I guess they could always raise our property tax rates...

MURFREESBORO — The cash-strapped Rutherford County School System didn't get quite as much money as it had hoped for from this year's auction of unneeded items.

One reason was the bargains bidders got, including a piano bought for 11 cents, a 1997 Ford van that sold for $250 and a 32-inch Samsung television that went for $1.27.

Those rock-bottom prices have some school administrators wondering if the current surplus system is as good a deal for the county as it is for the bidders.
Rutherford County's school system has faced a growing need for money since the last property tax hike in 2003. Three new schools are expected to cost $36.3 million to build and about $3.5 million a year to run when they open in 2006. The building plan also calls for three more schools to open in 2007, as well as a major addition at Murfreesboro's Blackman High School. The county has even asked lawmakers to levy taxes on new homes and on home sales, in part to pay for the increasing demands explosive growth has put on schools.
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The county sold 205 items this year, bringing in around $6,400, but most of that came from seven vehicles. Those cars and trucks, six power tools and a load of used wire brought just under $5,800, while the remaining 191 items generated only about $600.

School piano brings 11¢ at auction