News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County residents will see a reduced property tax rate this year.
The county commission has approved a $1.91 cent property tax rate for the new fiscal year, which is 7 cents less than the previous fiscal year.
County Executive Elect Jimmy Johnson said the rate is higher than what the state recommended.
“The state came in and proposed $1.85, but if we had taken a $1.85 on this fiscal year budget, we would have started out the year $200,000 in the red,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the $1.91 rate will start the county at $15,000 in the black.
“That’s if everything comes in like it should and if it goes out like it should,” Johnson said. “Now that’s not saying we won’t have some type of emergency come up because then we would have to go into out debt fund balance.”
The new budget includes funding for the new recreational field and to hire four new deputies.
“We had to replace four deputies that we took off the road to help make six school resources officers,” Johnson said. “You’re looking at $250,000 to $275,000 that had to be put in the budget this year.”
The county commission approved the new fiscal year budget with a 64- vote.
