In 2006, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation worked with the American Farmland Trust and local Farm Bureaus to conduct a cost of community services (COCS) study. A COCS study researched the current net fiscal impact of existing land uses in a particular county, in this instance three counties were studied – Tipton, Robertson, and Blount. The study analyzes revenues and expenditures on a land use basis for fiscal year 2005 and examines revenues by land use and the financial demands of public services (public safety, government administration, schools, courts, etc.) and shows the costs of providing these services to residential, commercial and industrial, and farm and forest land uses, as defined below. Each study focuses on services provided by the county, and does not analyze services provided by the cities within each county.
Land Use Categories:
- Residential Development: Property used for dwellings, including farmhouses, mobile homes, and rental units.
- Commercial and Industrial Deveopment: Property actively used for business purposes other than agricultural or forestry, including retail and wholesale production.
- Farm and Forest Land: All farm, agricultural and forest parcels, including those qualifying for reduced assessment under Tennessee’s Greenbelt Program.
As a reminder, property in Tennessee is classified based on its se, and statutory assessment percentages are applied to appraised vales as follows:
- Residential Property – 25%
- Agricultural, Farm and Forest Property – 25%
- Commercial and Industrial Property – 40%
- Public Utility Property – 55%
- Business Personal Property – 30%
Cost of Community Services:
Robertson County
For every $1 of revenue received:
- Residential properties receive $1.13
- Commercial and Industrial receive $.22
- Farmland receives .26
Blount County
For every $1 of revenue received:
- Residential properties receive $1.23
- Commercial and Industrial receive $.25
- Farmland receives $.41
Tipton County
For every $1 of revenue received:
- Residential properties receive $1.07
- Commercial and Industrial receive $.32
- Farmland receives $.57
National Average
For every $1 of revenue received:
- Residential properties receive $1.15
- Commercial and Industrial receive $.28
- Farmland receives $.36
