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Shelby County committee tells public it may exceed certified tax rate as budget amendments advance
Summary
After a full day of budget amendments, Shelby County’s Budget & Finance Committee voted to send the tax-rate ordinance down to the commission with the rate left blank and directed staff to publish notice the county may exceed the certified $2.6933 rate; committee members advanced dozens of amendment motions that could raise the rate if approved on June 23.
The Budget & Finance Committee voted Wednesday to send the county’s tax-rate ordinance to the full commission with the rate left blank and instructed staff to publish the legally required notice that the commission may exceed the certified $2.6933 rate for tax year 2025.
The blank leaves open the commission’s final choice after a package of budget amendments advanced through the committee, including major proposals affecting the sheriff’s office, juvenile court, a proposed local forensic lab and several social‑service and community grants. Michael Thompson, Shelby County deputy CFO, told commissioners they must publish notice of their intent because committee action on the amendments makes it likely the final rate will exceed the certified amount.
Why it matters: commissioners passed multiple amendments that add recurring personnel and operating costs. County administration said the emerging package — if approved by the full commission — would require additional revenue unless offset by cuts. Thompson said the charter triggers a higher voting threshold only if the chosen rate is 10% or more above last year’s certified rate; the committee’s procedural step was intended to preserve options while complying with state notice rules.
What happened next: After debate, the committee accepted a motion to send the ordinance down blank and to publish public notice of an intent to exceed the certified rate; that notice satisfies the state’s public‑hearing requirement even without a number in the ordinance. The full commission will resume the tax‑rate decision on Monday, June 23. If the commission chooses a number above the certified rate, the clerk will publish the notice and public hearings will follow as required by law.
Quotes: “You could leave this blank until you all finish deliberations on amendments,” Michael Thompson, deputy CFO, told the committee, explaining the timing and legal implications of leaving the ordinance unfilled.
Next steps: The full commission will reconvene June 23 to consider the amended budget and to set the tax rate. The committee directed finance staff to maintain a running tally of amendment costs so commissioners can see how votes affect the penny rate before the final vote.
