RUTLEDGE – Property owners receiving property assessment change notices from the Grainger County Property Assessor’s office may feel alarmed by the new amounts shown on the form, but according to Grainger County Property Assessor Donna Shelton, property owners may only see a minimal change to their property taxes, because the county cannot profit from a reappraisal.

Shelton said reappraisals have been on a schedule of taking place every five years. She said during a reappraisal all property in the county is reviewed, and this time it was reviewed using a “feet on the ground” process. She said that hadn’t taken place since probably 2011, with reappraisals being completed using overhead technology in the meantime.

Shelton said when property values change the way they have with this reappraisal the State sends a preliminary certified tax rate, which is now estimated to be $1.32. The current approved tax rate is $2.35, she said. So, for each $100 of the assessed amount, a property owner would pay $2.35. Because of the increase in values, property owners would now pay $1.32 for each $100 of the assessed value if the preliminary certified tax rate is officially approved.

Shelton said, “When the property values go up, the tax rate has to go down. Depending how much your property value goes up, that determines the new rate.”

Shelton used her own property as an example. She said her property tax appraisal went up around $100,000. For 2025 her tax was $712, based on the previous value. Based on the new value, her taxes would be $716.

“Mine only went up $4 even though my appraisal went up, say $105,000,” she said. “I do want to encourage everyone to reach out to our office… because we can ease people’s minds much better that way.”
Shelton said reappraisals have taken place every five years, but will be changing to an every four year schedule. The next reappraisal will take place in 2030.

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