Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Assessment Allegation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident Gary Farley urges county to pursue legal action over alleged property over-assessments by Rob Mitchell
Summary
Gary Farley, identifying himself as a longtime local elected official, told the steering committee he believes Assessor Rob Mitchell over-assessed his property and asked the commission to request resignation, pursue an officer suit and to press the state comptroller's investigation to completion.
Gary Farley, a Rutherford County resident who said he has decades of elected experience locally, told the steering committee he is a victim of what he called repeated over-assessments by Assessor Rob Mitchell.
"I'm here tonight as a victim of Rob Mitchell," Farley told the committee, saying Mitchell "over accessed my property by 600 square feet" and, when contacted, "was arrogant about it, laughed about it." Farley said Mitchell offered "2 years worth of back pay over 20 years" as compensation.
Farley said the conduct "is criminal" and urged the steering committee and full county commission to act. He asked the commission to pass a resolution asking the county attorney and the district attorney to file an officer suit and said the state comptroller's office is conducting a separate criminal investigation that should be allowed to reach its conclusion.
Why it matters: Farley framed the complaint as an accountability matter for an elected county official and asked the commission to use its authority to seek both administrative and legal remedies.
Details and context: Farley said the alleged conduct stretched back "within the last 20 years" and that he was speaking "on behalf of 12,000 people," though he said those citizens had not asked him to act. He described three paths the commission could pursue: asking the district attorney to file an officer suit, citizens filing a petition, or the county attorney filing suit. Farley also urged that the comptroller prosecute if the investigation supports it.
No formal motion or vote on Farley's request is recorded in the steering committee transcript. His remarks were made during the public-comment segment and were received by the committee for consideration.
What to watch for next: Farley requested a resolution and formal legal filings; the transcript shows only the public comment and not any immediate committee action to adopt the resolution. The steering committee or the full commission could schedule follow-up discussion or formal action at a later meeting.
