Rutherford County Residents Can Seek Relief From Newly Approved Property Tax Hike
Image: Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr Image Credit: RCTV / YouTube
The Tennessee Conservative…
Rutherford County residents who were approved for a freeze on property tax increases will not be subject to the new 16.1% increase that was approved by the county commission on Monday.
According to Rutherford County Trustee Teb Batey, “You had to have been frozen prior.”
Applicants who are eligible for the freeze but applied after Monday may be able to take advantage of that when the next increase occurs. Rutherford County has seen a property tax increase every four years since 2015.
Some residents may also be eligible for tax relief and can apply for that at any time, according to Batey. Those eligible to receive that relief must apply for it every year.
Low-income senior citizens who are at least 65 and individuals who receive disability benefits can apply if their income is no higher than $33,460. There is no income limit for disabled veterans or their surviving spouses.
The county commission has approved the 16% tax hike as a means of gaining funding to cover the costs incurred with providing services to the constantly growing county. A portion of this has gone to Rutherford County Schools for the opening of new schools or expansion of existing campuses to handle an average influx of 1,000 new students per year.
Mayor Joe Carr said that the upcoming year’s budget has a deficit of $7.5 million, and that is after he worked to help departments cut $25 million from their requests.
Commissioner Anthony Johnson said, “We’re here to do a job. You got to pay the bills.” But not everyone working in county government agrees that this is the appropriate way to fund the county’s needs.
“I represented the people in my district who asked me not to raise their property taxes, and I think I’ve done my job,” said Commissioner Steve Pearcy.
Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell spoke out against the tax hike during Monday’s meeting, calling it a “band-aid, a temporary fix.”
“We can no longer turn a blind eye to the waste of our hard-earned resources. It is time to confront this matter head-on and begin the necessary changes. We must meticulously scrutinize every dollar, identify and eliminate duplication of services, and streamline operations to restore fiscal prudence,” said Mitchell.
Commissioner Joshua James echoed those sentiments, saying, “We need to facilitate our budgets with long-term planning. This county has nearsighted vision.”
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
Why is the Rutherford County Board given unlimited authority to increase property taxes in such a large increments? Most counties hold these members to no larger than 4% and still must justify that increase. The voters need to pass legislation to reign in this board, to a set percentage tax increases or voters must approve any tax increases. The Rutherford County Board members are merciless!!