Coffee County Tax Assessor Elissa Fletcher is assuring the community that her office did not raise property taxes after concerns were raised when local residents received their new appraised property values last week.

According to a statement shared with the Times, “A higher appraised value does not automatically mean a higher tax bill. Tennessee uses a Certified Tax Rate to help prevent reappraisal alone from automatically increasing total taxes.

“To all property owners with concerns about their appraised value, please call or visit the Assessor’s office, so we can clarify the value and explain the certified tax rate process. Recent independent appraisals are great examples of information we can use to make adjustments, if necessary,” Fletcher told the Times in an email. “Once we verify the assessment, we, as a courtesy, can estimate the expected 2026 taxes using the reduced certified tax rates. The Assessor’s office has no control over the certified tax rates. These rates are calculated by the State of Tennessee and provided to the county and to the cities for budget purposes,” she said.

Detailed information about the reappraisal process, state laws which mandate reappraisal, and the certified tax rate can be found on the Coffee County TN website on the Assessor’s page. More information about individual appraisals can be found on https:// assessment.cot.tn.gov › TPAD or by searching Tn Property Data.

If you are concerned about your assessed value or you want more information, please call or visit the office to get a better understanding of the reappraisal process, which occurs every four years as mandated by the State and the certified tax rate revenue neutral- law.

All property owners have appeal rights beginning with our office and then to the local board of equalization. Members of the local board of equalization are property owners and citizens of Coffee County and have years of knowledge concerning real estate value. If property owners are not satisfied at the local level, everyone has the right to appeal to the State Board of Equalization.

I am extending a sincere invitation to all citizens to call or come by our office to better understand this process, or simply for more information concerning property values or the responsibilities of the Assessor’s office.

“Your individual bill can still change depending on how your property compares with similar properties and what tax rate is adopted,” she said.

Tax assessments are revenue neutral that means the county is not supposed to get a hidden tax increase just because values were updated. The total tax burden is meant to stay about the same overall, even though individual properties may shift.

Reappraisal reflects today’s market, not small year-by-year changes. Coffee County has seen strong sales activity, especially in residential property, and the new value is meant to reflect that market, according to Fletcher.