Rutherford County property owners have been overpaying their taxes for years because of widespread assessment errors, according to a blistering report and public statement from Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower.¶
Speaking before the County Commission Thursday night, Mumpower said his office uncovered a 25 percent error rate in local property assessments, mistakes that have inflated tax bills and eroded public trust.¶
“Everything in county government is built on the work of the property assessor,” Mumpower said. “But in Rutherford County, that foundation is more like a pile of sinking sand. You have property owners who have been paying an additional $1,000 for the last four years in a row.”¶
Thousands of Taxpayers Affected¶
The Comptroller’s two-year investigation reviewed 8,683 parcels, about 6.7 percentage of the county’s total, and found errors such as missing buildings, inaccurate square footage, and property improvements not recorded in the correct year.¶
Those inaccuracies mean thousands of homeowners have been taxed at inflated rates, while others were under-assessed, creating what Mumpower called “a fundamentally unfair system.”¶
“This is not just about clerical mistakes,” he said. “It’s about fairness, and right now, Rutherford County taxpayers haven’t gotten it.”¶
State Declares County Noncompliant¶
The Tennessee Board of Equalization formally declared Rutherford County out of compliance with state law on March 4, 2025, after repeated warnings went unheeded. Under state code, the county must reimburse the Comptroller’s Office $234,165.67 for 4,676 staff hours spent investigating.¶
County Attorney Nick Christiansen also confirmed pending litigation involving employees of the Assessor’s Office. Mumpower said his team faced “deliberate obstruction,” including attempts to alter and delete records while state staff were reviewing data.¶
“Someone in the assessor’s office erased data,” he said. “Our staff literally saw parcel records changing during the audit.”¶
Refunds and Reassessments Ahead¶
The county now faces the daunting task of recalculating years of overassessments and issuing refunds.¶
“Thousands of bills will have to be sent out and thousands of refunds will need to be issued,” Mumpower said. “That is the price of getting it wrong.”¶
The Comptroller’s Office will continue to oversee corrective measures to ensure taxpayers are charged accurately in future assessments.¶
Restoring Confidence in the System¶
Property taxes fund essential local services, including schools, infrastructure, and law enforcement. Mumpower said the errors have not only cost taxpayers but also undermined public confidence in government.¶
“If our citizens need anything when we all have to pay our tax bill,” he told commissioners, “it’s the confidence to know they’re paying the right amount—and that their money is being used wisely.”¶
