Rocky Top residents can attend all City Council meetings in this building on North Main Street. - G. Chambers Williams III
Rocky Top residents will see higher property tax bills in August for the fiscal year 2026, thanks to the City Council’s approval of an increase in the effective tax rate during a special meeting Monday evening.
The measure passed on a 4-0 vote, with one council member absent.
Present and voting yes were Mayor Kerry Templin and councilmen Joe Tackett, Jeff Gilliam and Keith Daniels.
Under the change, the new tax rate is expected to generate about $65,000 in additional revenue, according to City Manager Mike Ellis.
He said the increase was required because of an increase in premiums for health-care coverage for city employees.
The change came through passage on second and final reading of Ordinance 613, which was approved by the council on first reading Thursday, July 17.
The council held a public hearing on the proposed new tax rate just prior to Monday’s meeting, but no one showed up to comment on the issue.
“I was surprised there was nobody at the hearing,” Mayor Templin told The Courier News after the meeting.
The Norris City Council on Tuesday, July 22, approved on second and final reading a new property tax rate of 88.5 cents per $100 evaluation for fiscal year 2026, which began July 1.
There were no objections to the new rate during a public hearing that was held just prior to the 6 p.m. meeting.
Approved on first reading by the council on July 14, the new rate was formulated to hold overall property tax collections to the same amount as the previous year’s, considering a countywide reappraisal that raised property value assessments significantly.
The new tax rate was provided to the city by the state Board of Equalization.
Even though property values have increased, state law requires local governments to set their new tax rates to maintain the same level of revenue that was received under the previous year’s tax rate, unless they take formal steps to raise the rates.
A recently passed resolution will allow for smaller lots in areas with sewer and water service.
The Anderson County Commission approved the change to the zoning regulations during its Monday, July 21, meeting.
The resolution states that regarding minimum lot sizes, if multiple zoning rules apply, the less-restrictive rules can outweigh more-restrictive ones. However, on other issues, the more-restrictive rules would still take precedence.
Lisa Crowley, clerk for Anderson County Planning and Development, told The Courier News the change means that in many zones, including the A1 and A2 agricultural zones and R1 and R2 residential zones, the minimum lot size may be 7,500 square feet if water and sewer services are available.
Under previous interpretations, the minimum would have been 22,000 square feet.
Planning Commissioner Harold Edwards told commissioners that the change would help developers “take advantage” of areas with water and sewer services outside of towns.
He said there were not many such areas, but in those that existed, smaller lots would be less expensive for homeowners.
“We really need to encourage higher-density development where it can go with the infrastructure,” he said.
Crowley said there are no upcoming developments the new interpretation could benefit that she could share at this time.
Commissioner Sabra Beauchamp made the motion, and Commissioner Ebony Capshaw seconded it.
In a voice vote, Commissioner Shelly Vandagriff cast the only audible “no” vote.
The Oak Ridge City Council has approved its amended budget, including changes to the school system’s funding.
The unanimous vote to amend the school portion came Tuesday, June 17, following a recommendation from the Oak Ridge Board of Education.
Like other cities, Oak Ridge had to wait for the state of Tennessee to confirm the certified tax rate.
Before the amendment, the council approved the budget on second reading at its June 9 meeting.
That budget allocated $40,750,064 to the general fund for municipal operations, $12,957,197 to debt service, $6,260,000 to the state street aid fund, $255,200 to the drug enforcement program fund, $91,584,815 to the general-purpose school fund, $14,165,505 to the capital projects fund and $2,980,917 to the solid waste fund.
Details remain scarce about a shooting that injured 10 people in Oak Ridge on Sunday, May 25, but government officials met with the public to discuss the incident.
“What happened in our community shook us, but it did not break us,” said Anderson County Commissioner Ebony Capshaw, a resident of the historic Scarboro neighborhood where the event occurred. “Never forget that we are Scarboro strong.”
That comment came during a packed community meeting on Tuesday, July 1, more than a month after the shooting.
Multiple festivals and programs, including a parade in Scarboro, took place this summer without incident.
Still, the shooting remains on people’s minds. Authorities have yet to publicly identify suspects.
The incident on South Benedict Avenue injured 10 people — nine shot and one stabbed, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.
The TBI is asking anyone with information about the circumstances to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
The city of Oak Ridge and Oak Valley Baptist Church, where Oak Ridge City Council member Derrick Hammond serves as pastor, organized the July 1 meeting. It was held in a meeting room at the Scarboro Community Center, a building managed by Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks.
The Anderson County Commission has voted to confirm Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan as medical examiner, in charge of autopsies and medical investigations, allowing her to serve another term.
“She has done an excellent job,” said Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank.
The confirmation passed unanimously with no dispute.
Frank said the county pays $400,000 annually for medical-examiner services.
Overdose
Awareness Day
is Aug. 28
Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County will honor the lives lost in Anderson County due to substance abuse.
The event will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, at 225 North Main Street, First Baptist Church in Clinton.
The event and dinner from Texas Roadhouse is free.
To submit a remembrance photo for the banner of loved ones lost to overdose, go to tinyurl.com/uaunfjdj.
For more information and to make reservations, go to asapofanderson.org/.
Life Line screening event to be held
The Clinton Community Center will host Life Line screening on Aug. 22 at 101 South Hicks St.
Life Line is the nation’s leader in stroke and cardiovascular risk screenings, the city of Clinton stated.
Book appointments by calling Life Line Screening at 800-324-9458.
