The Rutherford County Commission at their last meeting during the fiscal year passed a budget which included a 12-cent property tax hike.

The commission's vote Wednesday was 14-to-6 in favor of raising the property tax. One commissioner abstained. The 12-cent hike represents a five-point-seven-percent increase to nearly two-dollars, 22-cents per 100-dollars of assessed value.

The county's Budget and Finance Committee voted earlier this week by a one-vote margin to leave the property tax rate unchanged. This after hikes of 20-cents and 19-and-a-half cents were proposed previously.

The county hike followed the City of Murfreesboro increasing property taxes by nearly 36-percent earlier this month.

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED

The Rutherford County Commission is set to meet in a Wednesday morning meeting to set the budget for the next fiscal year. They will approve a budget and the tax rate for 2020 year at 9am.

The county's Budget and Finance Committee voted earlier this week by a one-vote margin to leave the property tax rate unchanged. This after hikes of 20-cents and 19-and-a-half cents were proposed previously.

Despite the budget committee's vote, the full county commission will ultimately have the final say in the matter at their Wednesday meeting.

County Mayor Bill Ketron on previous WGNS broadcasts has mentioned the budget passed last year drew down the county's savings and fund balance. He said despite the 20-cent increase previously proposed, that still would meet less than half of what would be needed to fully balance the budget.