Possible Property Tax Relief To Come For East Tennessee Victims Of Hurricane Helene

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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

Property assessors in East Tennessee are working to reassess properties damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Helene as property owners question how much they will have to pay on their annual property taxes.

Jason Mumpower, Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, says that decision will ultimately come from Tennessee’s General Assembly. He noted that “the legislature and Gov. Lee have a strong desire to help the property owners affected by this storm.”

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in property taxes are soon to be due on hundreds of millions of dollars of lost property value. Area counties also stand to be affected by the decision, as a significant amount of revenue from those taxes is at stake for them.

Mumpower says that discussion has been underway about possible solutions to assist property owners, which could include grants for a prorated amount of the owed taxes or even possibly the full amount of the year’s bill. 

“The key to helping them is knowing exactly how much damage has occurred, what the extent of the damage people have suffered to their homes, to their businesses, so we have been working with assessors since the storm occurred,” Mumpower said.

Property assessors have been working with residents to determine which properties need to be reassessed in the wake of flooding. Many area residents no longer have structures on their property that match the previously assessed values.

Mumpower and Bryan Kinsey, director of the Division of Property Assessments, met with local assessors in Johnson City to discuss challenges and gather updates on their progress. They also told assessors to put together a report of good, solid numbers before the General Assembly reconvenes in January.

“We already have some good data coming in from every county,” Mumpower said. “We want to be sure by the time the legislature returns in January that they have a firm understanding of the dollar amount, of the extent of the damage people have suffered so that they can provide the best assistance.”

Mumpower also reassured those present that both the governor and the legislature are committed to providing help. “I can tell you that the minds are open, the hearts are open. The legislature, the governor, we all want to help the people of Tennessee.”

Unicoi County’s assessor Teresa Kinsler says the challenges they are facing right now are many, from the large number of affected properties to the debris still covering many properties.

She and other local assessors also see firsthand the difficult situation many people are in, losing homes and businesses, but still facing the possibility of even more financial strain as property bills begin to arrive. They also understand the reality of potential revenue loss that counties could face if the state is not able to step in and provide assistance.

“That’s going to be a pretty big strain for our county if the state doesn’t come in and help, at least for another year, until hopefully these businesses can either rebuild or relocate somewhere in the county,” Kinsler said.

Ultimately, Kinsler felt like the state was receptive to the needs of the communities, with Mumpower reassuring them that the state was working to find the right way to support local governments.

“This is an example of why it’s great to have a well-run state like Tennessee that has the reserves, that has the ability to help,” Mumpower said. “We are going to be able to get reimbursement from the federal government, but that takes a while. But Tennessee has the resources today to help Tennesseans.”