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Sevier County register asks General Assembly to restore larger share of recording fees, cites $239,000 shortfall
Summary
County Register Cyndi Pickel told the Sevier County Commission she is seeking state support to restore the county's share of recording commissions to the statutory 5%, saying Sevier County retained 2.4% and that restoration would have yielded about $239,000 for fiscal 2023———24.
County Register Cyndi Pickel told the Sevier County Commission on March 17 that the county currently retains 2.4% of the recording commission out of a 5% commission and urged the commission to ask the General Assembly to restore the larger share to counties.
Pickel told commissioners that, based on the July 2023—through—June 2024 fiscal year, restoring the full statutory share would have added about $239,000 to Sevier County's general fund rather than sending that money to the state. She said the issue has been pursued previously at the state level and that county leaders are again seeking support to change the distribution.
The request was considered under Resolution 2025-03-07, and commissioners approved forwarding the request on a motion by R. Ogle, seconded by C. Ogle; the roll-call vote recorded 25 yes, 0 no, 0 absent. The motion asks the county's legislative delegation and the state General Assembly to support restoration of the register's commission to counties.
Why it matters: county register fees fund local recording operations and can affect general fund revenue streams used for county services. Pickel framed the request as a straightforward revenue-restoration effort intended to keep a larger portion of locally collected fees available for county budgets.
What the commission recorded: the transcript records Pickel's explanation of the 2.4% retained share and the $239,000 figure; commissioners unanimously passed the motion to make the request to the General Assembly. The transcript does not include legislative language or a statutory citation; it records that similar efforts had been attempted at the state level previously but gives no detail on past bills or sponsors.
Next steps: the motion directs support for seeking state action; any change would require legislation by the Tennessee General Assembly. The commission did not specify a timeline or sponsor for new legislation in the transcript.
