Blount
County
Trustee
Scott
Graves
"It is an honor to serve the people of
Blount
County . It is my
goal to efficiently operate a friendly, professional business office.”
Scott Graves
Blount
County
Trustee
To pay your
Who is Your Blount County Trustee
Scott Graves is a life-long resident of Blount County and has been Blount County Trustee since September 1, 2000. He has a Master of Business Administration Degree (MBA) from Lincoln Memorial University and has over 22 years of work experience in the areas of Finance, Accounting, and Management.
Trustee's Primary Responsibilities
The Blount County Trustee manages a professional business office that collects and accounts for over $160 million annually in State, Federal, and local funds used to operate Blount County Government. The Trustee also manages the investment of temporarily idle funds and supervises the cash flow for Blount County Government. The Trustee is not responsible for setting the tax rate and is not responsible for property appraisals/assessments for tax purposes. The Trustee only collects Property Tax.
Trustee's Office Budget Facts
The Trustee's Office has always been conservative. It is a "fee office" meaning that it is designed by State law to operate using fees rather than Property Tax. The Trustee's Office uses $0 in Property Tax to fund its budget. The workload for the Office has increased tremendously over the past 20 years, but the number of employees has remained the same since 1990. Experienced employees, training, better technology, increased efficiencies, and hard work have enabled the Office to accomplish more with the same number of people. The budget for the Trustee's Office has decreased 2 years in a row while the Trustee's revenues have increased during that same time period.
Property Tax & Other County Revenues
Property Tax revenues represent approximately 35 percent of the funds collected. State of Tennessee funds, which are primarily education dollars, represent another 35 percent of the revenue collected. Local Option Sales Tax, Gasoline Tax, Business Tax, Federal funds, Fees, Charges, and Fines represent the majority of the remaining 30 percent of the revenue. The Board of Commissioners decides each year where Property Tax dollars are spent. The following represents the split, in percentages, of each Property Tax dollar spent in FY2012-2013:
| Education Purposes | 46% |
| General County Purposes | 34% |
| Debt (capital projects - approximately 93% is education related) | 20% |
Property Tax
Blount County Property Tax is collected annually by the Trustee’s Office. The Property Tax amount you pay is based on the fair market value of your property (appraisal/assessment set by the County) combined with the tax rate which is set each year by the Blount County Board of Commissioners. The Trustee is not responsible for setting the tax rate and is not responsible for property appraisals/assessments for tax purposes The Trustee only collects Property Tax.
Tax Notices are typically mailed in mid-September each year and are payable through the end of February. They become delinquent on March 1 each year. Please thoroughly review your tax notice as it provides much helpful information such as a discount for early payment. Tax Notices are not required by State law but are sent to you as a reminder. If you do not receive your notice(s) by October 1 of any given year, please notify our office (if your mortgage company pays your taxes, they should receive the notice). If you own multiple parcels of property, please make sure you receive your notices and pay for each one. Also, please notify us if your mailing address changes.
According to State Law, the official tax roll is as of January 1 of the tax year. If you buy or sell property during a tax year, the owner name on the official tax roll will be the owner as of January 1. We typically attempt to send a tax notice to the new owner as well as the former owner because we do not know who has been made responsible for the Property Tax at the closing of the sale. Normally, the taxes are prorated at closing and the buyer is made the responsible party. If you purchase property during the tax year and do not receive a tax notice, you may call our office any time and check the status of the property taxes.
Where to Pay Property Tax
For your convenience, the Trustee’s Office provides several locations to pay Property Tax which include the following (please have your tax notice(s) to ensure correct posting of your payment):
· Trustee’s Office on the 3rd Floor of the Courthouse on Court Street (in person or by mail)
· Internet payments with VISA or MasterCard through this website (minimal convenience fee applies – Blount County Government does not benefit from this fee)
· Blount County Clerk satellite offices at Foothills Mall or Chamber of Commerce drive-thru – checks only, no cash at these locations
· Local banks (sorry but State law does not allow for tax payments at credit unions)
Property Tax Freeze Program
In July 2007, the State of Tennessee adopted a Property Tax Freeze Program for certain homeowners 65 years of age or older with a total combined annual income that does not exceed an amount set by State law each year. The Blount County Commission approved this new program for Blount County in December 2007. The role of the Trustee's Office is to accept annual applications from eligible homeowners who desire to have all or a portion of their county property taxes frozen. The following are some key details:
- You must be 65 years of age or older by the end of the tax year for which you are applying.
- You must be the owner(s) shown on the recorded deed.
- This must be your principal place of residence for voting purposes.
- All owners' total combined 2011 income from all sources must not exceed $34,900 (income of spouse must be included). Some examples of income are social security, retirement/pension, salary, interest, dividends, capital gains, etc. The income limit which is set by State law will likely change slightly each year, so always check your tax notice for changes.
- The deadline to apply for the 2012 tax year is April 1, 2013.
- You must apply and be approved each year to be in the program.
- State law sets a limit on the amount of a homeowner's land that is eligible for the tax freeze. For example, if you own a 100 acre farm, only the principal residence and a portion of the land it sits on will be eligible. The Trustee does not determine the amount of your taxes to be frozen.
- The rules for this program are made by the State of Tennessee. They require us to ask for proof of age, income, ownership, principal residence, and possibly other proof in certain instances.
If you feel that you or someone you know may qualify for this program, please contact our office to get more details and to find out what documents we may need from you. For more information about the program, you may also visit the State's website at http://www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/pa/taxfreeze.asp.
State of Tennessee Property Tax Relief Program
The State of Tennessee offers a property tax rebate application for certain homeowners age 65 or older and whose total combined annual income from all sources for all owners (including spouse) is not over $26,830. A rebate may also be available to 100% totally and permanently disabled taxpayers who meet the same income limit, certain service connected 100% totally and permanently disabled veterans, or widows of certain service connected 100% totally and permanently disabled veterans that were eligible for the rebate or killed in action. The job of the Trustee's Office is to assist eligible homeowners with the application process. The job of the State of Tennessee is to make the final determination of eligibility. If you feel that you or someone you know may qualify for this program, please contact our office to get more details and to find out what documents we may need from you. For more information about the program, you may visit the State's website at http://www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/pa/patxr.asp.
Managing the Money
According to State law, the Trustee uses accounts at each local bank and other lawful methods to manage the funds of Blount County Government. The investments, by law, are extremely safe while receiving the highest possible interest earnings. A record amount of $2.2 million in interest was earned for Blount County in Fiscal Year 2000-2001. Almost $2 million in interest was earned for Blount County in Fiscal Year 2006-2007. The Trustee also supervises the cash flow for Blount County Government. The Trustee has no direct control over spending within Blount County Government but does have to ensure that departments have the necessary cash in the bank to cover their expenditures.
Trustee’s Office Address, Phone Number, & Hours
The Blount County Trustee’s Office is located on the third floor of the Blount County Courthouse on Court Street. The office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Feel free to call or come to the office any time. We will be happy to assist you.
Other Helpful Links:
Blount County Government Home Page