• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds

Property tax bills sent out, payments due Oct. 31

Posted at 1:52 am September 21, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge property tax bills were sent out, and payments are due without penalty by October 31.

The tax statements should have been received by September 1, the City of Oak Ridge said.

The city received the certified tax rate—or tax-neutral rate—from Tennessee this summer and adopted the $2.52 rate without changing it. That’s in contrast to other surrounding city and county governments, including Anderson and Roane counties.

Problems in Roane County’s re-assessments delayed the city from setting the tax rate and sending out tax bills when expected. But those problems were resolved as of August 3.

The new tax-neutral rate went up in Oak Ridge because total property assessments went down in Anderson and Roane counties. The tax-neutral rate is meant to bring in the same amount of revenue after a five-year reappraisal as before. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge Tagged With: certified tax rate, City of Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, property assessments, property tax, property tax bills, re-asseessments, tax bills, tax rate, tax-neutral rate

Guest column: Trying to set the record straight on the property tax rate

Posted at 1:04 pm June 2, 2013
By Ellen Smith 14 Comments

Online comments by local citizens in response to some recent guest columns about city and county budgets and taxes have revealed some mistaken notions about the way property tax rates are established in Tennessee cities and counties. I want to set the record straight regarding a couple of misconceptions about property tax that I see being spread in recent public discussions.

On the Oak Ridge Today website, citizen Andrew Howe posted a comment saying:

“The property tax rate should NEVER have to increase. It is basically a percentage of the value of the home, right? And if the value of the home rises (as it should, in line with the cost of living), then the taxes will also rise.”

I can’t quarrel with Mr. Howe’s logic, but his conclusions are wrong. This is because he makes an assumption that is valid in many states but isn’t valid in Tennessee.

Under Tennessee law, when properties are reappraised, state officials calculate—and publicize—the property tax rate that will give the local government the same total amount of property tax that it was getting from existing properties before the reappraisal. (This calculated rate is called the “certified tax rate.”) That’s the new baseline tax rate. If a local government in Tennessee wants to get more property tax revenue after a reappraisal, the governing body has to vote to increase the tax rate above the certified rate. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Guest Columns Tagged With: Anderson County, appraisal, certified tax rate, city budget, county budget, Ellen Smith, Oak Ridge, property tax collections, property tax increases, property tax rate, property tax rates, property tax revenues, property values, reappraisal, tax bills, taxes, Tennessee

Search Oak Ridge Today

Classifieds

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

Recent Posts

  • Christmas Parade this evening
  • TVA retires Bull Run Fossil Plant
  • Artificial intelligence to be discussed Tuesday
  • Community Thanksgiving is Thursday
  • Windrock wildfire controlled
  • ORHS Masquers Showcase is Saturday
  • Minor traffic delays possible due to Secret City Half Marathon, 5K
  • Burn ban in effect in Oak Ridge, restrictions in OS
  • State: Rocky Top wildfire 100 percent contained
  • Rocky Top fire grows to 210 acres, 75 percent contained

Recent Comments

  • Anne Garcia on School bus driver arrested following alleged assault on elementary student
  • Raymond Dickover on Blockhouse Valley Recycling Center now open 6 days per week
  • Mike Mahathy on School bus driver arrested following alleged assault on elementary student
  • Norah Higgins on Links between religion, violence, gender to be discussed at Lunch with League
  • Matthew Perkins Coppola on Family of Hannah Morris has receiving of friends, celebration of life on Sunday
  • John Huotari on Power to TRISO at Horizon could cost $13 million
  • John Huotari on Lawsuit seeks 2020 election audit, voting machine restriction
  • Peter Scheffler on Lawsuit seeks 2020 election audit, voting machine restriction
  • Peter Scheffler on Power to TRISO at Horizon could cost $13 million
  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem

Copyright © 2023 Oak Ridge Today