Public comment on 21% Washington County tax hike proposal Thursday night

JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — Washington County residents can comment on a proposed 21% property tax increase when the Washington County Commission meets about the issue at 5 p.m. Thursday.

The owner of a $200,000 house would see an annual tax bill $151 higher if the county passes the increase, compared to the current rate. Citizens must sign up before the meeting to offer public comment, which is limited to three minutes per person.

County commissioners voted 13-2 last week to begin the process of approving a tax increase from the $1.4071 per $100 of assessed value that the State of Tennessee set following last year’s countywide reappraisal. Commissioners will consider an “intent to exceed” that state-set rate by just over 30 cents per $100 of assessed value, raising the rate to $1.71.

The state sets the rate after a reappraisal to equalize the amount of money that will come in to a local government, making it the same as before the reappraisal and the increased values that result.

County commissioners have approved a budget that would require the higher rate but must take at least two more votes on the matter before it becomes official. The increase would yield more than $16 million in additional revenue and would mark the first time the Washington County Commission has increased the tax rate since 2015.

A home valued at $200,000 would have an $855 county property tax bill if the increase is approved, compared to $704 if the county kept the rate at what the state set.

Most residential property owners are also seeing their taxes increase from before the reappraisal regardless of a rate change. Residential values rose an average of 68%, compared to an average of 27% for commercial property, making the overall increase 54%.

A homeowner whose appraisal increased by the exact residential average of 68.48% is already facing a 10% higher Washington County property tax bill.

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