Miller can’t stop property reassessments
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Miller reported the state Division of Property Assessment, from its regional office in Tullahoma, has completed a reappraisal of all property in Warren County. These reappraisals are conducted every six years.
Miller said the current economic conditions in Warren County inspired her to try to get the reappraisals held off locally.
“I was not allowed any input into the reappraisal and I was against it,” Miller said. “People are losing jobs, factories are closing and families are worried about how they will pay the mortgage. Then they get a notice from the state that their property values are increasing.”
Miller held meetings with regional appraisers to try and work out some solution for local property owners. Division of Property Assessment director David Sherrill, along with regional appraiser Donald Osborne met with Miller and state Sen. Jerry Cooper in Miller’s office March 12.
“At that time both Sen. Cooper and myself expressed, in person, our concerns about the reappraisal of property,” said Miller. “They left saying nothing would be changed and the change notices would be mailed by the state division.”
Miller feels this is the worst time for Warren County residents to suffer yet another possible financial setback considering the continuing loss of jobs locally.
“I am going to do everything I can to get the property values in line with the economic conditions of the county,” Miller said.
According to County Mayor Kenneth Rogers the reappraisal will not affect property taxes in the year it is made due to state law. Instead, the County Commission will have to reduce the property tax rate so that the new property assessments will generate the same amount of property tax dollars the previous rate generated.
Though no one will experience an increase in their property tax this year, if the commission decided to raise the rate next year, the new appraisal could affect taxpayers negatively. However, Rogers said he is against an increase.
“I’m not for raising property taxes,” he said, noting, with the money generated by the recent sales tax increase, he hopes to be able to avoid a property tax increase in the near future.