CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Montgomery County Commission finalized the budget for the fiscal year 2023-24. Some highlights include property taxes remaining at the same rate, and the county committing to spend $62.5 million in capital projects.
For the fourth consecutive year, county officials worked around the budget to have property taxes remain at a rate of $2.99 per $100 of assessed value. Compared to the previous year, pennies were moved around, but nothing drastic changed.
| 2022-23 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|
| General | 1.32 | 1.50 |
| Roads | 0.12 | 0.153 |
| General Purpose School Fund | 0.545 | 0.512 |
| Debt | 0.75 | 0.60 |
| Capital | 0.20 | 0.17 |
| School Transportation | 0.055 | 0.055 |
| Total | 2.99 | 2.99 |
Jeff Taylor, the Montgomery County director of Accounts and Budgets, previously said the Budget Committee tried its best to cut costs while also keeping the fund balance healthy. Taylor added that it didn’t seem wise to raise taxes with 2024 being a reappraisal year.
Property taxes in Montgomery County have not exceeded a $3 rate per $100 of assessed value since 2019, according to Montgomery County records.
Capital projects
As for capital projects, the County Commission agreed to spend $62.5 million on 21 projects. A large portion of the funds come from four projects that would total $44 million on their own.
These include a new Animal Control Center, a new facility for the Highway Department, improvements to county schools and Charles Bell Road improvements. These four would be paid for with bond proceeds, along with anything else highlighted in blue in the graphic above.
Out of the four projects, the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System was given $8.5 million out of the $44 million.
This is the largest amount CMCSS has ever been given by the county for capital projects. CMCSS will spend the funds on 10 projects, which include repairing roofs that have outlived their lifetime.
“The County Commission and the school system have done a really good job this year of working together,” CMCSS Director of Schools Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder said. “We keep saying we’re all better together. So, prioritizing roofs for the school system, that’s primarily what we’ll spend with the capital project funds. We’re excited to be proactive and put some new roofs on buildings to prevent any long-term damage.”