Rutherford County Assessor of Property Rob Mitchell sent a letter to county commissioners noting that this year's budget will be a challenge.

Mitchell stated, "The Assessor's Office is the only office in County Government for which the Comptroller of the Treasury has dedicated an entire division to the oversight of their operations."

The letter went on to state, "Rutherford County currently dedicates only .042% of their budget to the Assessor's Office. The Return on Investment for the assessor's office is substantial. For every dollar invested in the Property Assessor's office $73.44 in revenue is generated."

Starting in January of 2015, the Assessor began implementing a three year re-inspection plan utilizing in house staff. The plan involved reviewing & re-inspecting both residential and non-residential accounts each year to achieve a total coverage of 102,000 real property accounts in Rutherford County.

Roughly 34,000 parcels will be reviewed in 2016. In 2017, another 34,000 parcels will be reviewed.

In the Property Assessor Annual Budget and Operational Guide it was noted, "The County Commission has agreed to provide such support by approving the four year reappraisal plan submitted to the State Board of Equalization."

As far as what the Assessor's office is in need of for the next fiscal budget, roughly $2.3 million. That being said, the office actually has fewer employees today compared to ten years ago. The mayor of Rutherford County has proposed the Assessor's Office receive about $2.2 million. The only proposed increase in the Assessor's budget this year is to cover the cost of new printers which cannot be repaired. The current printers are about ten years old.

The increase in the Assessor's Office Budget Proposal this year is $34,804, which equals a grand total of $2,337,848 being requested.

Read the Entire Operational Guide:

To see a PDF of the Rutherford County Property Assessor Annual Budget and Operational Guide, CLICK HERE.

Below is the letter from Assessor Rob Mitchell to Commissioners:

Dear Commissioners:

This year's budget will be one which will challenge us as community representatives and as office administrators. We must work together in order to accomplish the will of our constituents as well as complete our constitutionally mandated duties. Every elected official works diligently to maximize the return on investment of every taxpayer dollar allocated for the administration of their office. The Property Assessor's Office is under particular pressure due to statutorily mandated deadlines for completion of complex tasks. Attaining these deadlines is increasingly difficult with limited resources. That is why I took the time to document for you an explanation of what it is our office does to help you in making your determination on May 10th.

The complexity of this office is unique in county government. The Assessor's Office is the only office in County Government for which the Comptroller of the Treasury has dedicated an entire division to the oversight of their operations. This oversight is fully justified as the proper valuation of property within a county is the bedrock upon which the entire operation of county government relies.

Rutherford County currently dedicates only .042% of their budget to the Assessor's Office. The Return on Investment for the assessor's office is substantial. For every dollar invested in the Property Assessor's office $73.44 in revenue is generated.

The Assessor's Office does not have a history of frivolous requests at budget time. As conditions change we adapt to meet the challenge and do it without requests for additional funding. We have a proven track record of returning to the general fund our administrative savings. This is done in order to reduce the overall burden on our county. Lacking the advantage of being a fee office, the Assessor's Office is reliant upon the County Commission to approve our annual budget and to place their trust in the Assessor's ability to efficiently and effectively manage the office. Your current assessor has demonstrated this ability and has earned praise and recognition from peers. ( 2015 Assessor of the year and President of the Middle Tennessee Assessor's Association) The transformation of the office over the last four years is remarkable by any standard.

We take our budget seriously. We realize we are spending the money of our parents, grandparents and children when we make our recommendations. We appreciate your trust and confidence.

Thank you for consideration of our budget as requested. Please call me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Rob Mitchell

Assessor of Property
Rutherford County Tennessee
319 North Maple
2nd Floor Suite 200
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37130
615-898-7750