Cheatham County adopts $136.1M FY2025-26 budget, sets combined property tax rate at 1.7530 after 9-3 vote

Cheatham County commissioners voted Tuesday to approve the countyFY2025-26 budget, adopt a combined property tax rate of 1.7530, and pass related budget documents, after a series of committee reports and roll-call votes.

The measure passed in a set of roll-call votes that were recorded 9-3, with Commissioners Walter Weakley, Randy Noe and James Hedgepath voting no on the appropriation and tax levy measures.

The approved budget document covers all county funds and reflects appropriations and amendments approved by the commission. The countyDirector of Accounts presented a package of school and county budget amendments during the meeting, and commissioners approved those measures by roll call before voting on the overall budget.

The commission also adopted the 2025-2026 fire tax levy and the combined property tax rate. The resolution recorded the schedule of rates for each fund and a combined total of 1.7530 for FY2025-26. The tax levy and budget resolutions include separate items for general government, highway, debt service, solid waste and education, with the full set of fund appropriations attached to the minutes.

County Mayor Kerry McCarver opened the public hearing on the proposed budget earlier in the evening; no one spoke for or against the budget at that hearing, though a separate public forum drew residents who opposed a zoning change on Sears Road. The budget takes effect July 1.

The commission approved a list of mayoral contract items in the same session, including intergovernmental agreements, vendor contracts and construction contracts; those approvals were recorded by roll call 12-0 later in the meeting.

What this means: The five-year spending and appropriations documents are now authorized; the county will begin the new fiscal year, and property tax bills for the county share will be collected under the newly adopted rate. The commission recorded the votes in its minutes; dissenting commissioners said the package contained items they could not support without additional information or changes.

Next steps: The budget becomes effective July 1, 2025. The county will execute the contracts approved by the commission and proceed with projects included in the appropriations document.

Attribution note: The budget and tax votes, and the rates adopted, are recorded in the Cheatham County meeting minutes. The vote tallies were taken from the meeting record.