Hamilton County Cities May Get a Pass on Paying Assessor’s Fees

Hamilton county commissioners Wednesday were caught between an old state law, and local tradition when it comes to communities paying assessor’s fees.
The assessments are done every 4 years but the county has never charged them.

Hamilton county, according to commissioners, has more municipalities than any other county in the state.
According to county assessor Marty Haynes, state law says those towns should be paying assessment fees every 4 years.

MARTY HAYNES, COUNTY ASSESSOR  “The state law uh says that in a reappraisal year, the uh..the assessor of properties shall uh..share half the cost ah, between municipalities and the county government.”

Haynes, who’s been in office 5 months says he was just as surprised as anyone to hear that.
It went into effect in 1989, but its never been collected. It comes to more than 772-thousand dollars that’s now being borne by the county.

COMMISSIONER JIM FIELDS, DISTRICT 2  “In order to waive this requirement there has to be approval from this legislative body?..yes sir.”

Most of the small municipalities sent representatives to oppose the new fees that could be imposed on them.

MAYOR DAVID HOWELL, LAKESITE  “Put yourself in our shoes. If the state of Tennessee came down here and said, hey, we have found this law that hasn’t been in effect for 30 years, and we’re now going to implement ..starting now…next month or the next couple of months we’re going to send you’all a bill which you’all didn’t know about….how would you feel about it?”

Commissioner Tim Boyd offered a resolution keep the status quo.

COMMISSIONER TIM BOYD, DISTRICT 8 “I would like uh support for this resolution to waive this shared cost for the next appraisal only…this is only the 2017 appraisal…not forever.”

Boyd says it will give the commission four years to sort it all out.
This was an agenda session, so commissioners did not vote on the issue.
Many indicated they would support Boyd’s resolution at next week’s meeting.