Shelby County officials have faced criticism recently in the wake of a cashflow crunch and the Tennessee Comptroller’s decision not to approve its Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
But what hasn’t been reported anywhere is a big win for the county that was unlocked by a small group of commissioners who refused to budge on the tax rate.
Here’s a condensed playback:
Following hours of debate, the commission adopted a 2.69 property tax rate. This is the state-certified rate equivalent to 3.39, the previous fiscal year’s rate, after factoring for the results of the reassessment.
Why is that important? Because it unlocked something historic.
For the first time in 23 years, Shelby County does not have the highest property tax rate in the state.
