Rutherford County finance director announces certified tax rate as budget committee presents draft; Eagleville fire chief urges maintained funding

Rutherford County’s finance director told the county budget committee on the evening of the public hearing that officials had just received the certified tax rate and that the committee’s draft budget does not include a tax increase.

Michael Smith, the county’s finance director, told the committee that the new certified rate “is going to be a dollar 1.4885,” and said the budget committee “has not proposed any type of tax increase this year.” Smith said the numbers arrived only a few hours before his presentation, so the slides were in draft form and final penny adjustments to fund the published budget would be finalized at the committee’s next meeting.

Why it matters: the certified tax rate determines how property valuations translate into tax bills; Smith said Rutherford County’s valuation stands at a little over $21 billion and the county anticipates collecting slightly more than $300 million in property taxes. He said a county penny is worth a little over $2 million and a schools penny about $1.7 million. Smith also said the packet showed total revenues under appropriations of roughly $19.5 million, driven largely by planned cafeteria deficits and timing items, and that staff expect final year-end fund balances to be higher than the conservative estimates shown in the draft.

Smith reviewed fund-by-fund highlights in the draft: a general fund deficit of about $562,000 (mostly grant timing), balanced solid-waste and ambulance funds, a pass-through 119 fund tied to Smyrna Rutherford County Airport Authority bond payments, and narcotics-related funds for the sheriff’s office (121 and 122). He flagged school-related funds—specifically fund 143—as requiring a spin‑down plan, showing an estimated deficit of about $8.5 million, and said the general debt service includes a modest surplus to help plan for a large judicial center project the county may pursue in the future.

The presentation listed proposed staffing additions found in the committee’s draft: 14 county-general-fund positions (including three positions in the county clerk’s office, two in the circuit court clerk’s office, a school resource officer for a new middle school, three firefighters, two emergency management (EMA) positions, two building electrical inspectors, one position for PAWS animal services, and a roll-off driver for solid waste) and 14 ambulance-fund positions (including eight positions to staff a new EMS station off Weekly Lane in Smyrna and several positions tied to a forensic center expected to begin operations in mid‑year). Smith directed the public to the county website for the full draft and the proposed positions list.

Public comment and next steps: the chair opened a public hearing and invited attendees to speak for up to three minutes. Jonathan Armstrong, who identified himself for the record as Jonathan Armstrong, fire chief for the city of Eagleville, requested continued support and funding for the Eagleville Fire Department. Armstrong described the department’s emergency‑response capabilities and said it serves city residents and surrounding unincorporated areas, asserting the department “saves taxpayers millions of dollars” by avoiding duplicated personnel and facility costs. The chair thanked Armstrong and asked him to provide his name for the minutes; Armstrong said he has been on the department 16 years and has served six years as chief.

No formal votes were taken at the hearing. Smith and the chair said the budget committee will meet the following night at 5:30 p.m. to recommend a tax levy and appropriation resolution, and the full commission is scheduled to meet Monday the 22nd at 9:00 a.m. to consider adoption of the budget.

The hearing closed with the chair noting that questions raised during the public hearing would be addressed at subsequent meetings and then adjourning.