Ethics Committee asks DA, TN Comptroller to investigate Rutherford Property Assessor

Rutherford County's District Attorney General and the Tennessee Comptroller should investigate an employee complaint against Property Assessor Rob Mitchell and his management, the county Ethics Committee decided Wednesday.

Commissioner Robert Peay Jr. called for the unanimous 5-0 vote after saying he and his fellow committee members lack the resources to investigate the accusations from Richard Kincade, a residential appraiser for Mitchell's office.

"I don't think we have the authority to do that," said Peay, noting the committee focuses on questionable votes by officials and whether they use public office to make financial gain.

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Mitchell denied instructing his residential valuation coordinator Chance Baker to tell appraisers to delay updates on property improvements — such as added detached garages — until 2026 instead of the 2024 tax rolls.

"Anybody that alleges that I did that is a liar," Mitchell said after the meeting. "That's as clear as I can say it. If they say that I did that or I had knowledge or I was trying to deliberately hide anything, that is a lie."

Mitchell told the committee that he wrote an ethics policy for his employees to follow.

"I take ethics very seriously," Mitchell told the committee.

The complaint also accused Mitchell of ignoring conflict of interest issues. Kincade's complaint accused Baker of working as a real estate professional while at work at the property assessor's office.

Kincade described the actions of Mitchell as being "reprehensible" because they're causing an "unfair tax burden."

Kincade also requested that all the employees of the property assessor's office be interviewed in the investigation to restore the integrity of the office.

Mitchell also has faced a second employee complaint from residential appraiser John Key pertaining to the conflict of interest issues involving Baker.

"Chance Baker no longer works for the assessor's office," Mitchell said after the meeting. "He was given an opportunity to continue at the assessor's office, receive a write up and not sell real estate in Rutherford County. He chose to resign and sell real estate."

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Mitchell blames mayor for complaints

Mitchell also accused Rutherford Mayor Joe Carr of being behind the complaints.

"It's a political stunt," Mitchell told the committee. "It's targeted to get me out of office."

Mitchell after the meeting said he has no interest in campaigning for mayor in 2026.

"I simply want to be property assessor and do my job," Mitchell said. "That is all I have ever been interested in."

Mitchell also told the committee that the mayor built a green house on the Carr farm in the Lascassas community northeast of Murfreesboro without Kincade adding that to the tax rolls in violation of the law.

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Mayor responds about Mitchell's comments

Mayor Carr sat in the audience during the ethics committee meeting at the Rutherford County Courthouse in the center of the Public Square in downtown Murfreesboro.

Carr provided the following statement to The Daily News Journal after the meeting:

"Mr. Mitchell in his testimony referenced a greenhouse that I built on my farm in late 2023. He is correct, this greenhouse is approximately 8 feet by 16 feet or 128 square feet. The greenhouse is a hobby. Like most of Mr. Mitchell's testimony before the ethics committee, his statement is fraught with factual errors, misrepresentations and deception.

"I first contacted Mr. Mitchell on January 24, 2024 about a serious miscalculation in the square footage of my home. The square footage of my home was over inflated by over 1,300 square feet resulting in me over paying my property taxes by thousands of dollars over the course of several years.

"When I asked Mr. Mitchell for an explanation and how many other Rutherford County property taxpayers were paying more in property taxes because of an error in his office increasing the square footage of their home, he refused to respond. I am told from within the assessor's office there may be as many as 1,000 homes that are incorrect and (with owners) overpaying their property taxes."

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DA confirms mayor requested investigation of Mitchell

Rutherford's District Attorney General Jennings Jones confirmed by phone after the meeting that Mayor Carr had requested that the prosecutor examine the employee complaints against the property assessor.

Jones said he asked the comptroller to look into the complaint.

"My office does not have the capacity to investigate this matter," said Jones, who oversees 22 attorneys prosecuting crimes.

Jones said he is certain the comptroller's office will contact him if there are any criminal issues involving the complaints.

Anything involving civil law should be handled by the comptroller, which has regulatory oversight of the property assessor's office, Jones said.

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Comptroller aware of the complaint issues

Comptroller's spokesman John Dunn said the state office is unable to to provide information involving the complaints at this time.

"Our office has a firm policy to not confirm our involvement in investigations until such time as we issue a public report," Dunn said. "We also can't confirm whether or not someone has notified our office of alleged impropriety due to confidentiality provisions within state law.

"I can certainly say that we are aware of the issues and allegations that have been raised regarding the Rutherford County Assessor's Office, and we take our oversight responsibilities seriously."

Mitchell shared with the ethics committee the recent findings from the comptroller's office for the property assessor.

"By not consistently picking up all new construction and prorating improvements, especially in the month of August, Rutherford County is losing revenue," the comptroller's July 11 audit report sent to Mitchell from Bryan Kinsey, director of property assessments for the state office. "Last year 106 improvements were not added to the tax roll until mid-December, after DPA (Division of Property Assessments) notified the assessor's office of discrepancies discovered during deed monitoring."

Mitchell told the committee he works with the comptroller's office on corrections.

"I have made mistakes," Mitchell said.

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Residents speak to ethics committee on issues

The ethics committee also heard from residents including Jim Thompson during the public comment part of the meeting.

Thompson said it's important to bill property owners properly to pay their fair share for needed revenues to fund infrastructure. He suggested the issue either involves disgruntled employees or problems in the property assessor's office.

"This is critical," Thompson said. "Let's get this fixed."

Jerry Robinson, the owner of the Slick Pig restaurant, urged the committee that everybody pays their fair share in taxes and dollars are well spent on needed projects.

"Roads are in terrible shape," Robinson said.

Note: The Daily News Journal will be updating this story.

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Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription .

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Ethics Committee asks DA, TN Comptroller to investigate Rutherford Property Assessor