In theory, Hamilton County government is supposed to represent all of its municipalities, but one in particular is treated as second-class: Red Bank.
As is routine every four years in Tennessee, Marty Haynes, the county’s property assessor, set a new property tax rate for each city within Hamilton County.
An accurate calculation is vital in maintaining city revenue — and in turn, essential public services.
Unfortunately, Haynes made a grave mistake. Per state law, when property values are reassessed every four years, the property tax rate must be set to a level in which the local government imposing the taxes does not receive additional revenue from increased values.
Therefore, the rate in Red Bank was lowered to counter a historic rise in home values. But instead of setting the rate based on 2024 values — as he should have — Haynes cited assessments from 2021.