The Nashville City Council imposed a “large” property tax hike on residents when it approved a budget that aims to make up for revenue lost due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The measure, approved this week, would raise rates by 34 percent.
“A combination of deep cuts, a painful but necessary property tax increase, and replenished fund balance will safely see our community through to the other side of the coronavirus and the most serious budget crisis in Nashville’s history,” Nashville Mayor John Cooper said in a statement.
On Twitter, Cooper said the tax hike would not have been considered had the city not been facing its “greatest financial challenge.”
The crisis budget approved tonight stabilizes Metro’s finances and maintains essential services. The large tax increase is something I would not have considered were we not facing Nashville’s greatest financial challenge. I thank @mendesbob and Council for their leadership.
— Mayor John Cooper (@JohnCooper4Nash) June 17, 2020
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has said that the state could face a shortfall of more than a billion dollars.
A separate City Council member said raising property taxes was a “tough decision.”
Two other states — Colorado and California — are eyeing property tax increases as lawmakers look to patch respective budget holes. However, both have to repeal measures that were previously put in place to limit sky-high tax rates, which is underway in each state.
Nashville, a city that relies on tourism as a significant source of revenue, has been hit hard as stay-at-home prevention measures have kept businesses closed, and people from visiting. Nearly 16 million people visited the city in fiscal 2018, according to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. Due to event cancellations alone, the city was estimated to lose about $156 million in direct spending, a local news outlet reported.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/nashville-approves-painful-property-tax-hike
Taxation without representation. So people of Nashville, what are you folks going to do about it?!?
another attack on property rights – liberty
the commie dream
https://tennesseestar.com/2019/12/11/al-gore-praises-nashville-mayor-john-cooper-for-new-environmental-initiative/
That cooper fella can see into the future I suppose. What a “visionary”.
Taxation is theft period
But on the logic they use for the hike is majorly flawed and someone with a brain there should point out that they paid for services they didn’t receive through the time of the lies and virus scam
Not to mention the lawsuit that should be coming the cities way for deprivation of rights under color of law
Fk yer 30 what’re percent
You bastards were getting paid and so was your pension
If one person in this country is getting a paycheck from the government
Than no
We’re not in this together
Pay in coins…