In this May 17, 2026 post, from a May 4, 2026 Press Briefing, the sample that the media was presented had a tax rate of .96, Knox County Finance Director Chris Caldwell said on May 4, it could be .96 to 1.04. With the massive growth in property values in four-five years, the expectation of a reasonable man would reasonably believe the tax rate to be .96, which was on the sample, provided by the Assessor Phil Ballard and Finance Director Caldwell.
Last night, August 31, 2026, Knox County Commission (the last meeting for four Commissioners) passed a certified tax rate of $1.0158. So, I asked, how did we get to $1,.0158 from an estimated .96 in May. Caldwell replied, “I would defer to Mr. Ballard, but the estimate we put out in May was the information we had at that time. The equalized tax rate increasing to $1.0158 was related to the adjustments made by the Board of Equalization. Thus, it looks like the Board made more adjustments than we anticipated, which led to a higher equalized rate.”
I then asked Assessor Ballard, who replied, “I would agree with Mr. Caldwell and at that time it was in conjunction with the budget process. The moving parts or adjustments were the final numbers on the Office of State Assessed Properties, then the Personal Property and Real Property final numbers are at the close of the County Board Hearings, plus State Administrative Appeals that are ongoing and could include year’s 2022-2025.“
At the April 27, 2026 Knox County Commission meeting, from the Commission minutes, R-26-4-110: Consideration of a Resolution of the Commission of Knox County, Tennessee, appointing/reappointing ______________, ______________ and ________________ as members and appointing _____________, _____________, _____________ and _______________ as alternates on the Knox County Board of Equalization was before the Board of Commissioners. (Terms expire April 30, 2028). Commissioner Hill moved to approve Resolution R-26-4-110 – Resolution of the Commission of Knox County, Tennessee, reappointing Gail Hawkins and appointing John Anderton, and William Gentry as members on the Board and appointing James Thompson, ,, and _______ as alternates on the Knox County Board of Equalization. (Terms expire April 30, 2028). Commissioner Fox seconded the motion and upon roll call vote Commissioners Rawls, Durrett, Oster, Jackson, Russell, Hill, Lee, Thompson, Fox, Jay, and Frazier voted aye. The motion carried 11-0-0-0.
So, if you did not appeal your assessment (between June 17 and July 17, which was late, because appeals are suppose to be conducted and completed in June), apparently enough of the “Assessor’s work” was corrected by the Board. of Equalization that the tax rate was moved from .96 to 1.0158. a .05 cent difference.
You can APPEAL to the Board of Equalization any June, so start calling the Assessor every May!
From the last Monthly Financial Report, (dated 8/14/2026) BELOW we learn on slide 3 of 19 that .01 cent is 1,960,000. So, 5 of those pennies are only 9,800,000. I am sure to some folks with a $1.2 Billion dollar Knox County budget that 9.8 million ain’t much.
But as Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, a longtime Republican Senator of Illinois and former House member once said, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.”
A unconfirmed source has whispered to my compound here that Assessor Ballard is expected back in court possibly next week, September 10 on his Grand Jury indictment.
