Image Credit: washingtoncountytn.org
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
Washington County’s budget committee has recommended an increase in the county’s property tax rate.
In a unanimous 4-0 vote on Monday, the committee recommended a 30-cent increase in the current tax rate. This would be a 21% increase in property taxes.
For many residents, residential appraisal values have risen over the past year, already bringing an increase to the amount of taxes that will be owed. The additional tax increase will raise that amount even more.
The increased revenue from those property taxes would allow the county to increase general government spending from $92 million in the fiscal year ending on June 30 to $102.4 million for the following year. The school system would also see a budget increase from $91.3 million to $105.6 million.
Washington County residents saw property taxes increase nine years ago, just before the 2016 fiscal year began. However, officials say that increased expenses warrant the change.
Much of that expense may be due to population growth in the county. The Tri-Cities have seen record population growth over the last couple of years, with Washington County seeing nearly a 2% increase each of the last two, adding over 2000 people each year.
With that increased population comes an increased need for services provided by the county as well as a need for increased funding for those services.
While increases may be deemed necessary by county officials, that does not make them easy for families to manage. A recent report shows that 46% of households in Northeast Tennessee are struggling to make ends meet, despite pay increases for lower paying jobs. Increased pay did not offset the fact that there were increased costs for those families.
The Washington County Commission was scheduled to consider the property tax increase during its Tuesday night meeting. Any proposed increase will be presented to the public who will be able to make comments. A final decision will be made at their June 20 meeting.
