By Cliff Hightower
Staff Writer
DAYTON, Tenn. — Rhea County commissioners voted twice on a property tax rate last week and now face confusion about whether they legally approved a 15-cent tax increase, officials said.
County Commissioner Terry Broyles, chairman of the county’s finance committee, said Commissioner Bill Hollin made the motion for the increase to $2.15 per $100 of assessed value during a special called meeting last week. Commissioners voted 5-4 for the increase, but they believed the motion failed because they needed a two-thirds majority to pass a tax increase, he said.
Commissioners voted a second time on a motion to keep the tax rate at $2 per $100, he said, and that passed 7-2.
Mr. Broyles said commissioners later found a simple majority was enough to pass a tax increase, so now there are questions about whether the county’s tax rate stands at $2.15 or $2, he said.
Everything will be clarified tomorrow night, he said, referring to Tuesday’s scheduled County Commission meeting.
County Executive Billy Ray Patton said today he does not think the vote is valid anyway because the motion was made during a special called meeting. He said the motion needs to be made during a regular meeting.
It’s not legal, Mr. Patton said.
E-mail Cliff Hightower at chightower@timesfreepress.com
See tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press for complete coverage.
