A majority of County Commission members said Wednesday they plan to waive - at least for this year - an unexpected fee from the assessor's office that had officials of local cities in a dither.
Commissioner Tim Boyd said the county had traditionally paid the full rate on the property reappraisals that are required every four years.
He said some smaller cities were looking at having to raise taxes to cover the unexpected fee.
New Assessor Marty Haynes said he first learned of a 1988 law setting up the charge to cities while attending an assessor orientation. He said he was told that "Hamilton County is not in compliance with state law."
Assessor Haynes said, "I was as shocked as anyone," but he began sending bills for the total $772,674 charge.
He said he later learned that about six of the counties waive the charge, and over 50% charge it. Under the law, counties can enter an agreement with cities on covering the reappraisal amount.
Commissioner Boyd said the county had been paying the fee for almost three decades and has the money budgeted for this one.
He said the resolution, that will be voted on next Wednesday, "will give us time to discuss this more thoroughly over the next four years."
The next required reappraisal in 2021. The local assessor's office has an ongoing reappraisal process in place.
County Mayor Jim Coppinger said he had not lobbied commissioners either way on the issue.
But he warned that costs are increasingly piling onto the county with cities backing away from many payments they once made. He noted that the county had to pick up $11 million in unexpected costs when the city of Chattanooga chose to end the 1964 sales tax agreement soon after he went into office.
A number of officials of local cities attended the commission meeting.
Robert Cothran, Soddy Daisy mayor, said, "We are strongly opposed to paying this. It would put a real burden on us."
Davis Lundy, who has a contract to represent several small cities, said the charge "should be permanently waived."
The city of Chattanooga, which has the largest share of the charge, did not have a representative at the meeting.
Assessor Haynes said it was difficult bearing the bad news to city officials just after going into the assessor's office. He said, "I've sure made some folks upset."