Rutherford County – TN (06/29/2023) Residents who own a home valued at $450,000 can expect to pay $24 more a month, $288 annually as a result of the property tax increase approved by Rutherford County Commissioners 13-8 on Monday.  

Mayor Joe Carr was informed of a $64 million budget deficit shortly after taking office in September 2022.  For the last several months, Carr and his staff have spent hundreds of hours analyzing and strategizing on ways to reduce the shortfall with the least impact to Rutherford County property owners.  With the help of Finance Director Michael Smith and department heads cost reductions and savings were utilized to eliminate $25 million from the budget. 

The financial situation is a direct result of the unprecedented growth Rutherford County has experienced within the last 10 years.  According to the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, from 2020-2022 Rutherford County was the 43^rd fastest growing county in the United States. Carr said, “Without the same tools afforded to cities and other counties by our legislature, taxpayers will bear the brunt of growth.”

The Budget, Finance & Investment Committee held nine committee meetings and a public hearing to allow discussion on the proposed budget.   The majority of the increase will be used for county operations, schools, and to retire debt. The full resolution can be found at 20230621 .

Carr joined Bart Walker from WGNS radio to discuss the budget and answered questions from the community.  The entire program can be heard at https://www.wgnsradio.com/article/81807/rutherford-county-mayor-joe-carr .

Even with the property tax increase, the rate remains lower than comparable counties in Tennessee.  A list of 2022 Tennessee Property Taxes compiled by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury may be found here.

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