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Nashville Mayor Karl Dean introduced a tax increase at his annual State of Metro address.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean has spent the last week going to bat for his property tax increase. He says the alternative is laying off policemen and teachers. The additional 53-cents – what amounts to $16 a month on a $150,000 home – is a few cents shy of triggering a referendum where voters would have to sign off. But the mayor still has to get the Metro Council’s approval.

“I’m not saying that there is every little bit of fat cut out of the government and there’s not areas that wouldn’t benefit from being cut, but you can’t find the amount of money that’s needed for the government to continue to operate.”

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Dean says he’s not worried about driving people out of Davidson County or keeping them from moving to the city. Tax rates surrounding Nashville are already lower. But compared to the state’s other major cities, Nashville would remain the lowest, even with an additional $0.53 making the total $4.66.

Combined city/county property tax rates for 2011 (source TN Comptroller)

Historical tax rates for Metro Nashville

Notice that the tax rate is lower now than it’s been at almost any time in the history of consolidated government in Nashville. That’s because each year property is reappraised, state law requires that the tax rate be cut so the new appraisals don’t effectively act as a tax increase.

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