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Benton County approves request to state for TVA acreage report amid PILOT payment concerns
Summary
Commissioners approved a resolution asking the Tennessee Department of Revenue for TVA acreage figures reported by TVA, a request prompted by concerns that Benton County’s TVA acreage entry may be lowering its in‑lieu payments.
The Benton County Commission approved a resolution asking the Tennessee Department of Revenue to provide the county with the most recent report submitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that lists TVA‑owned acreage within Benton County. The resolution, presented by commissioners Price and Preston and moved by Commissioner Keane with a second from Commissioner Bain, was framed as a transparency and review request related to TVA in‑lieu payments.
Commissioner Rocky Preston described comparative data showing Benton County receives lower recurring in‑lieu revenues for lakefront parcels compared with 17 East Tennessee counties he surveyed, and he read an email from a senior research associate (Bob Morella) in Tennessee government research that suggested changes in TVA acreage reporting between 2019 and 2020 altered certain counties’ PILOT allocations. Preston said the request should signal to the Department of Revenue and TVA that Benton County is monitoring acreage figures that feed the state distribution formula.
The resolution directs county staff to send a formal request to the Tennessee Department of Revenue for TVA’s most recent acreage report for Benton County; one commissioner asked the clerk to address the county’s request to the Department’s chief financial officer by name if the resolution passed. Commissioners discussed sending the request by registered mail to ensure receipt. No change to state law or distribution formulas was proposed at the meeting; the resolution seeks documentation so the county can evaluate whether reporting differences have influenced in‑lieu payments.
Recorded action: motion by Commissioner Keane, second by Commissioner Bain; commissioners proceeded to vote on the measure. The transcript records the resolution being advanced for signature and distribution; further analysis and any request for outside counsel were suggested as future steps.
