Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tax Relief topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trustee asks commissioners to fund $3.9 million property-tax relief match; trustees cite ordinance commitment
Summary
Shelby County Trustee proposed a $3.9 million county match for the state property tax relief program, saying the ordinance commits the county to a 100% match and suggesting $1 million of trustee revenue plus FY26 excess receipts could partially fund the match; commissioners asked why the mayor's proposal left the item out of the proposed budget.
Shelby County Trustee Reggie Newman told the Budget & Finance committee the county's ordinance requires a 100% match for the state property-tax relief program for eligible seniors and certain disabled veterans, and she proposed $3.9 million to meet the county's share for FY27.
Newman said the county could cover part of the match through $1 million in trustee commission revenue and an anticipated $1.7 million of excess FY26 trustee receipts that will roll to fund balance; the remainder would come from general-fund balance up to $2.9 million if needed. She said the ordinance that established the county match contemplates a recommendation from the trustee at budget time and confirmed the program's eligibility rules are set by the state (age 65+ with income thresholds, or 100% service-connected disabled veterans).
Several commissioners asked why the mayor's proposed budget did not include the trustee's recommended match. Newman said the program historically was handled in a restricted or grant-like way and that moving it into the trustee's budget streamlines administration and makes funds more visible to the county.
Committee action: No vote was taken; commissioners asked for further explanation of the trustee's revenue forecasts and requested that the finance office and trustee provide district- or zip-code-level participation data so the commission can see geographic distribution of recipients before finalizing the appropriation.
What happens next: Trustee staff and county finance will provide detailed FY26 revenue and participation data and return to committee before the June 10 budget action on Item 2.
