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Freshman Tullahoma alderman Matthew Bird is speaking up as to why he feels a property tax increase is needed after the proposal hit the floor at the recent board of mayor and aldermen meeting.

His comments in full were:

“I wanted to share a few thoughts about our city’s budget and why a potential property tax increase is being considered. It’s not an easy topic, but it’s an important one.

While I don’t take the idea of raising taxes lightly, I do support the proposed increase. Currently, Tullahoma uses an assessment rate of 25%, meaning a home valued at $150,000 has an assessed value of $37,500. The proposed tax adjustment would result in an additional $75 per year for a property of that value.

The primary concern driving this proposal is the condition of our roads. At our current funding level, we are only able to repave each road in Tullahoma once every 40 years. However, the expected lifespan of a road is approximately 20 years. This gap means that over time, roads will degrade significantly beyond their intended life cycle, leading to more frequent potholes and a growing need for reactive maintenance. Eventually, more of the paving budget will be redirected to short-term repairs, creating a cycle that pushes full repaving further out of reach.

It’s also important to note that the last property tax increase in Tullahoma occurred in 2013. Since then, the cost of asphalt alone has increased by 30%, and overall inflation has risen by approximately 35%. These rising costs have put increased pressure on our budget.

Despite these challenges, our City departments are committed to efficiency and cost savings. For example:

Public Works has a skilled vehicle maintenance team that services our fleet in-house, significantly reducing repair costs.

The Police Department hosts training sessions locally, which allows us to reserve free training slots for our officers.

The Fire Department carries out many of its own repairs, including a recent renovation of its entryway, which avoided the expense of hiring an outside contractor.

Parks and Recreation employs a maintenance crew that supports upkeep across departments, minimizing the need for additional maintenance and janitorial staffing.

Each department actively pursues grants to help bring our federal and state tax dollars back into Tullahoma.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at mbird@tullahomatn.gov or reach me on Facebook at Matthew Bird: Tullahoma Alderman. I’m always happy to respond and provide clarity where I can.

Thank you for your time reading this.”