O'Connell calls for tax increase in $3.8B budget
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell is proposing to raise property taxes by about 26% as part of his $3.8 billion operating budget.
Why it matters: Property owners would pay more taxes. The tax increase has already garnered pushback from conservative groups, and sets up another gritty political battle for O'Connell.
Between the lines: Nashville leaders have raised property taxes just twice since 2005.
The most recent increase was in 2020, when the rate went up 34%. Metro insiders expected an increase this year. A 2023 study concluded Nashville had one of the lowest tax rates among major cities in the nation.
O'Connell's budget, including the tax increase, will likely garner enough support within the Metro Council to pass.
What he's saying: The mayor outlined his budget during Thursday's State of Metro speech at the downtown public library, while directly addressing protesters — including one dressed as a cow and another as the grim reaper — who lined the sidewalk outside.
"Many of you undoubtedly walked past folks this morning who believe that property tax going up for any Nashvillian by any amount is unnecessary — just more government spending," he said. "These are the same people celebrating the chaos of federal cuts — which, make no mistake, are NOT about efficiency."
"What they won't tell you is that what they're proposing means we wouldn't fund our schools, services and safety," O'Connell continued.
Context: The process of setting a tax rate is especially confusing during property appraisal cycles, which take place every four years.
Assessor of Property Vivian Wilhoite's office concluded the average countywide increase was 45%. But that doesn't mean property taxes are going up 45%.
The state requires appraisals to be revenue neutral for local governments. Under a process called equalization, the tax rate is therefore reduced by about 45%.
By the numbers: The current combined rate for urban and other areas is $3.254 per every $100 of assessed value. The equalized rate will be $2.222.
O'Connell is proposing a rate of $2.814, which constitutes an increase of 26.64%.
To figure out your tax bill, determine the assessed value of your home (25% of the total appraised value). Divide the assessed value by 100, and then multiply by the proposed tax rate of $2.814. Metro also has a tax calculator on its website.
According to Zillow, the average Nashville home value is $436,048, which would lead to an annual bill of $3,068 under O'Connell's proposal. If there was no tax increase, the same bill would be $2,422.
Zoom out: Though his budget does not include many new big-spending items, he did commit additional funding for schools and housing.
O'Connell proposed a 13% bump in schools' funding, primarily to pay for college and career readiness, tutoring and summer learning, mental health programs and school safety.
He also committed $45 million to affordable housing initiatives outlined in the recently released Unified Housing Strategy.
The bottom line:"This is a basic, common-sense budget that follows a 2025 budget in which we asked each department to reduce spending," O'Connell said.
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