Property tax referendum

Gail Kerr mentions Sylvan Park in her column in today's Tennessean about the property tax referendum that will appear on the November Davidson County election ballot.

She makes an important point, too: The proposed referendum, which would require a public vote prior to any property tax increase by the Metro Council, will not keep property taxes from increasing altogether. The city reappraises property every four years, and tax payment amounts would increase any time that property value increases, period, with or without a tax rate increase.

Metro Trustee Charlie Cardwell, the city's elected tax collector, is quoted in the column sayinf that Sylvan Park and Green Hills are areas where he frequently hears from long-term residents concerned about rising appraisals. Many of these residents are on fixed incomes and have trouble keeping up with what the increasing popularity of these neighborhoods means for their tax bills each year.