Photo: Henry County Commission members discussing the new budget and property tax. Shannon McFarlin photo.
By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–At a lengthy meeting Friday evening, the Henry County Commission voted to approve the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year county budget, which includes a four-cent property tax increase.
According to documents reviewed at the session, the new property tax rate will be $1.9333 per $100 of taxable property and is set to begin July 1. The new rate will be itemized this way: County General Fund $.5495; Debt Service .0181; Education Funds, 1.0805; Highway Fund .2209 and Solid Waste Fund, .0643.
Under the budget, the total county general fund is $15,695,533.00.
Discussion of possibly raising the tax higher than that to cover possible future costs began at the last recessed session on Monday and continued at Friday evening’s resumed session..
Commissioner Ralph Wiles asked what criteria is used to determine what is in the budget and said he thinks “all the people of the county” should see all the checks issued by the county. “I’m tired of seeing these line items,” he said.
Commissioner “Tater” Hayes said if taxes are going to be raised, maybe “we should raise enough for the work we need to do.”.Fellow Commissioner Marty Visser said the tax boost should remain at 4 cents so the increase does not “hammer folks” too much.
Long-time Commissioner Dell Carter said, “Every year, we get a budget…the county is not a money-making institution. The people support the county with tax dollars.”
After more discussion Friday evening, Commissioner David Webb made a motion that the tax increase be by 8 cents rather than 4 cents to finance repairs to the county’s older buildings.
Noting that repairs are badly needed at the courthouse, Grove Tower and the courthouse annex, Webb argued that it would be prudent to plan ahead. Visser, who is chairman of the county’s building and grounds committee, said he will be calling another meeting in July to further discuss the issue of the deteriorating buildings.
Commissioner Patrick Burns repeated that there has been “serious neglect” in previous years “and I can’t see saddling the taxpayers with that burden.”
The motion to increase the tax increase to 8 cents ended in a 7-7 tie, with those voting yes being Chairman Chuck Elizondo, Missy Hamilton, Hayes, Webb, Jay Travis, Carter and Rita Gean. Those voting no included Paul Neal, Melissa McElroy, Visser, Wiles, Monte Starks, Burns and Kenneth Humphreys.
On the vote on the resolution asking for the four cent tax increase, Wiles was the lone ‘no’ voter.