Debate over what a state law means has inflamed arguments among local officials after a mistake cost Red Bank an $800,000 budget shortfall.
The error, originating in the Hamilton County Property Assessor’s Office, was a miscalculation of Red Bank’s certified property tax rate — setting it lower than it should have been and inadvertently leading to property tax rates being hundreds of dollars less on the average Red Bank home in 2025.
After an unsuccessful bid to make up for the shortfall with a county loan and now buckling down for a hiring freeze in 2026, Red Bank city officials are saying the county property assessor, Marty Haynes, didn’t follow the law when he calculated the rate for them.
“Mr. Haynes has never followed this state law, to my knowledge, and I am eager to hear how Mr. Haynes and his office plan to correct these processes,” Red Bank Mayor Stefanie Dalton said in an email.