Shelby County commissioners delay tax-rate vote after trustee flags $9.5 million projection gap

Shelby County commissioners on Monday postponed final votes on the county's certified tax rate and the FY2026 operating and capital budgets after the county trustee and finance officials disagreed about revenue assumptions underpinning the proposed plan.

The delay came after Regina Newman, Shelby County trustee, told commissioners the proposed budget counts on an unusually high property-tax collection rate (98%) for FY2026 that she said is not supported by historic billing-collection patterns and would create an estimated $9.5 million shortfall if adopted as-is. Deputy Chief Financial Officer Michael Thompson defended the administration's proposed numbers but agreed to hold items for two weeks so staff and elected officials could reconcile assumptions.

Newman said she provides the administration with a conservative forecast each year and that previous adjustments…