Bradley County approves tax levies to fund pay increases after contentious public hearing

The Bradley County Commission on June 26 adopted the countywide property tax rate certified by the state and a separate fire-district levy to fund higher pay for county employees and first responders.

County Mayor Gary Davis, who presented a budget he described as "balanced," asked commissioners to weigh competing priorities: improving pay to retain staff while avoiding excessive tax burdens on retirees and farmers. "The proposal before this body would raise taxes in order to fund a significant across-the-board increase in employee salaries," Davis said, adding that his original proposal included a 3% raise for most employees and targeted increases for firefighters, EMS and law enforcement.

The public hearing drew dozens of speakers. Supporters of the increases included firefighters and family members who urged the commission to prioritize recruitment and retention. "If we truly support our firefighters, we should show it," said Britney Grey, who identified herself as the wife of a fire battalion commander. Caleb Lazader, secretary of International Association of Firefighters Local 4868, told the commission "we're not having people come in and apply for our fire department because of our compensation," warning of staffing shortfalls and station closures if pay is not raised.

Opponents—many of them farmers, retirees and other taxpayers—argued a property-tax increase would disproportionately burden fixed-income households and long-time landowners. Several speakers urged alternatives such as impact or development fees that would more directly charge growth for the infrastructure and services it creates. "A tax increase is not what we need today," said a retired commissioner, noting rising costs already borne by seniors.

The commission voted down a substitute resolution that would have left the fire-district levy unchanged; that substitute failed 5–9. The body then approved the mayor's fire-district levy and the countywide combined property tax rate (the certified rate of 1.0772 per $100 of assessed value) in separate roll-call votes, each passing 9–5. Multiple commissioners made conflict-of-interest disclosures before votes where they or immediate family members are county employees.

Votes at a glance: minutes and routine items were approved unanimously; the final budget amendments (agenda A) passed 14–0; the fire-district tax resolution passed 9–5 after the substitute failed; the combined county tax levy (agenda C) passed 9–5; the annual appropriations resolution (agenda D) passed 9–5; and the nonprofit appropriations list (agenda E) passed 14–0.

What the vote does: the adopted levies implement the rates read into the record (the combined county rate of 1.0772 per $100 and the adopted fire-district levy) and fund the compensation package the commission approved in the appropriation and budget resolutions, including the mayor's proposed line items for equipment and personnel. The commission recorded the roll-call tallies and next steps will be administrative implementation and incorporation into county payroll and capital schedules.

The meeting closed with public comments thanking commissioners and staff and with reminders about upcoming meetings and county office closings. The county clerk's office will publish the adopted rates and the approved budget documents as required by state law.