Mayor won’t veto 10-cents property increase budget

Informs commission she won’t sign it, either

August 21, 2019 by Ken Leinart

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank informed Anderson County Commission she will not veto the proposed 2019-2020 Anderson County Budget.

In July the mayor vetoed the proposed 2019-2020 budget which called for an 18.25-cents property tax increase.

During its monthly meeting later that month commissioners could not muster a vote to override the veto and instead recalled the Anderson County Budget Committee to rework the budget.

The final result was a budget calling for a 10-cents property tax increase with five-cents earmarked for the county school system, 4.5-cents will be earmarked for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, and ½-cent is set aside for Anderson County’s capital outlay projects.

If the 10-cents increase passes, the Anderson County tax rate would sit at $2.8903 per $100 assessed value.

Clinton residents’ property tax will be $2.8589 per $100 assessed value.

Last Thursday the Anderson County Commission passed that budget.

There were five votes cast against that budget: Tracy Wandell, Denver Waddell, Tim Isbel, Theresa Scott, and Phil Yager all voted no.

There was speculation Mayor Frank would veto the 10-cents property tax increase budget, but she informed County Commission Monday night she decided not to.

Commission even set aside a date (Aug. 30) for a special called meeting in case the budget was vetoed.

The county has until Aug. 31 to submit a budget to the State of Tennessee.

The Mayor said she waited to hear from any commissioner who might want to change their minds (about passing the budget), and when she heard from none she decided a veto would probably be overridden.

However, she told County Commission she would not sign the budget, which means it will be 10 days before it automatically goes in affect.