MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WKRN) — It was a shocking headline that grabbed attention: 400% increase on property taxes in Mt. Juliet.

On top of that, several city employee cuts were proposed in next year's budget.

However, the city passed a budget Monday night with a much smaller property tax increase, and no one lost their job.

News 2 asked Mt. Juliet officials: Where did the city find the money to make it work?

“I understand you’re upset. I got to pay my bills just like you do, and I still got to pay my taxes just like everyone else,” Mt. Juliet Vice Mayor and District Commissioner Bill Trivett said on Monday night.

The proposal sent shock waves through the city: a quadruple percent increase in property taxes. The city currently has one of the lowest rates in the state at 11 cents.

Earlier this month, it was proposed to be increased to 44 cents. On Monday night, commissioners decided on 29 cents.

“According to 2024 numbers, we are going to stay at No. 18 in the state, so that's pretty close to bottom 10 percent still,” Mt. Juliet Mayor James Maness said.

Maness said the city managed to lower the property tax rate by cutting 50 to 60 other items, which saves a little more than $3 million. No city employees lost their jobs.

“In total, between that last one and these one, 13 job positions were eliminated, but no one lost their job in the process,” Maness said.

Maness said public safety is a large part of the budget. When it comes to police, Mt. Juliet is considered the fourth safest city in the state and it’s one of 10 cities in the state that offers their own ambulance services.

Maness said another reason the city is seeing a tighter budget is because growth has slowed in Mt. Juliet.

“If you go back a five-year period, we were seeing 650 units a year coming online in the city as far as permits are being pulled, but that's dropped 250 to 200 a year,” Maness said.

Commissioners have pointed out that property taxes should have slowly been raised years ago, so News 2 asked Mayor Maness what does the future look like?

“Well, my personal goal is to get the property tax back to zero,” Maness said.

The budget passed 4-1. It goes into effect on July 1.

Commissioners also voted to put a $14 million bond referendum in front of voters in August 2026. If it passes, it will go toward constructing the city's first recreational and aquatic center.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/mt-juliet-city-commissioners-pass-budget-lower-property-tax-increase-and-city-employees-keep-job/