The Hamblen County Commission on June 26 voted to levy a property tax rate 25 cents above the state-certified rate, moving the county’s proposed inside rate to about $1.31 per $100 of assessed value (outside $1.47) to help cover recurring costs and an estimated budget gap.

The certified rate calculated by the State Board of Equalization was presented to the commission as 1.0993 plus 0.1168, for a total certified rate of 1.2161; the body voted to exceed that certified rate and set the increase at 0.25. Mayor Cutshall and finance staff noted the increase is intended to balance recurring operational costs including personnel, tipping fees and debt service.

Why this matters: Commissioners and dozens of residents said the increase responds to long-term funding shortfalls — including higher personnel and operating costs after recent capital projects — but residents warned the change will strain households on fixed incomes and called for alternatives such as shifting some school property-tax burden to sales tax.

Public comments were dominated by opposition and concern about affordability. Chris Black, a Morristown resident who spoke multiple times during the meeting, said the county’s services lag peer counties and asked commissioners to consider austerity measures before raising property taxes. Brian Frank Ford told commissioners, “People have been up here telling you their problems, and you've been, excuse my French, freaking ignoring it.” Several speakers urged tabling the decision until more figures (including sanitation/tipping-fee impacts) were available; others asked for protections or relief for elderly residents on fixed incomes.

Commissioner Harville, who moved the main levy motion, acknowledged the impact on taxpayers while defending the need for new revenue: “Taxes are gonna increase, and I feel for folks. There's a way you can come to Scotty Long if you have trouble. If you're an elderly person, you can come up there and they can work with you.” Harville said the county’s existing fund-balancing measures have been exhausted and that delaying action would likely force a larger increase next year.

Mayor Cutshall cautioned commissioners about the unknowns that could affect revenue and the county’s choices: “What we don't see is what's on the horizon. ... This body is facing to balance this budget a rate increase. Do you wanna do it this year and take a chance of not doing it next year or the year after? That's the question.” He also noted state-driven obligations such as mandated teacher-salary changes and the possibility of grant or program-driven expenses that could reintroduce pressure on the budget.

Commission debate repeatedly returned to an alternative repeatedly raised during public comment: moving a portion of school funding from property tax to sales tax, which several commissioners said was done previously in a different year. Finance staff provided a planning figure for the value of a penny on the tax roll (about $275,000), and commissioners estimated that moving roughly 12 cents from property tax to sales tax would generate about $3.3 million. Proponents said that shift could reduce the immediate property-tax increase; opponents and the mayor warned moving one-time or sales-driven revenue to cover recurring costs risks a repeat increase if sales tax receipts fall.

Despite calls to table the vote and several amendment attempts on the floor (including proposals to split the increase over two years or to delay action 30 days), the commission adopted the 0.25 increase. Finance staff recommended splitting the 25-cent increase with 21 cents directed to the general fund and 4 cents to sanitation/solid-waste needs; commissioners discussed but did not unanimously adopt any alternate split in place of the staff recommendation.

The commission also proceeded with related budget and appropriation votes that the majority said are necessary to close a multi-million-dollar shortfall and secure recurring funding for roads, public safety and county operations. Commissioners approved a package of budget resolutions and nonrecurring appropriations, including a one-time technology appropriation for the school system and an amendment to a construction contract tied to a state-audited grant (the amendment was requested by the state's auditor to clarify which costs are county-funded vs. grant-funded).

Votes at a glance
- Appointments to the Morristown–Hamblen Library Board (Chris Capps, Kim Fox, Linda Raines): motion to appoint carried; no recorded roll-call tally in transcript beyond “motion passes.”
- Acknowledgment of certified tax rate (state-calculated 1.0993 + 0.1168 = 1.2161): motion passed 11–1 (recorded in meeting as “11 yay and 1 nay”).
- Resolution 25-10 (resolution to levy a rate in excess of the certified tax rate): motion to levy a 25¢ increase (mover: Commissioner Harville; second: Commissioner Horner) — motion passed (transcript records “motion passes”). Finance staff indicated recommended distribution of the 25¢: 21¢ to general fund, 4¢ to sanitation/solid-waste.
- Resolution 25-11 (resolution fixing the tax levy consistent with the passed rate): motion passed (mover: Rodney Long; second: [recorded as] Mister Richardson; transcript shows motion passed).
- Resolution 25-12 and 25-13 (annual appropriations and related budget resolutions): motions passed.
- Resolution 25-14 (one-time appropriation for nonrecurring technology equipment for schools): motion passed; discussion noted the appropriation was intended as a one-time, fund-balance-supported allocation and not recurring salary money.
- Finance and budget committee items (including disaster-recovery homeowner rehab program policies and several budget amendments): motions passed as recorded in the meeting.
- Amendment No. 1 to AIA document with Construction Partners LLC (related to a state grant and auditor request to clarify funding splits): motion passed; mayor and staff said the auditor (Ernst & Young) requested clearer contract language to identify which alternates are county-funded vs. grant-funded.

What the commission did not do: Commissioners declined several attempts to table the levy vote for 30 days; they did not adopt an across-the-board reallocation large enough to avoid any property-tax increase. Several commissioners proposed phased or smaller increases as alternatives but those amendment motions failed for lack of a second or votes.

Context and next steps: The certified rate is set by the State Board of Equalization and was acknowledged by the commission before exceeding it. Finance staff and the mayor urged residents who expect difficulty paying property taxes to contact county offices for available assistance; commissioners said additional program-level decisions (solid-waste tipping fees and sanitation-rate changes) will be implemented through subsequent formal actions and budget documents. The commission noted its next regular meeting and committee calendar (committee meetings July 14; commission July 24).