"The Blount County property assessor’s office recently finished its quadrennial reappraisal of every piece of real property in the county. Assessor of Property Todd Orr said Thursday that the new values are “jaw dropping.”

It's been reported in the mainstream media and social media that property values have been reappraised up by 60% and in some cases doubled.

It is kind of a bad time for homeowners since we are at the top of a market and home prices are already going down. It will be another four years before the county appraisals can be normalized.

"Tennessee law doesn't allow the county government to earn more money from property reassessment. The process has to be revenue neutral. "

"The current property tax rate for Blount County is $2.47 for each $100 of assessed value. Orr estimates that will decrease to approximately $1.60 per $100 of assessed value. "

I didn't take long for Blount County commissioners to consider a tax increase.

"Commissioners and the public discussed a preliminary certified rate of $1.5953 per $100 of assessed value and a proposed increase to $1.69."

On Thursday, May 18, 2023, the Blount County commissioners were supposed to vote on the tax increase.
A "Resolution to levy a tax rate in excess of the Certified Tax Rate - Removed from agenda."

"I want our public to have public hearings and public committee meetings on June 5. Everyone needs to understand this is not final yet. I think when we get final numbers from the state, we will get the opportunity to adjust accordingly," said one commissioner."

According to the WBIR report it is state law where "local governments are required to conduct public hearings before adopting a property tax rate that generates more taxes overall in a reappraisal year than were billed the year before, at the previous year's lower values."