Knox County Commissioner Larsen Jay held a hearing on August 20 at the Karns Community Center to discuss his candidacy for mayor of Knox County in 2026.
The session was a departure from the usual in that Jay asked the questions and the small but enthusiastic crowd answered.
Jay introduced himself and said that he is currently serving his second term as Commissioner at-large, which ends in 2026.
“I would like to continue to serve the community in a larger role. If they want me, I will do my job to the best of my ability without having to look for another job,” Jay said.
While various issues, from infrastructure to affordable housing, were discussed, a noticeable silence spread through the room when Jay mentioned the budget and property taxes.
Jay asked, “What’s holding Knoxville back?”
The answer came from several people and was “lack of funding”.
Jay stated that the last property tax increase was 30 years ago.
“Who runs a business? Have you raised your rates in the last 25 to 30 years? Imagine Knox County as a business and you’re on the board. Is it good for business to never raise rates? Well, that’s what we’ve done with property taxes.”
The current property tax rate is $1.55 per $100 of assessed value. Jay said that 21 years ago, in 2003, property taxes were as high as $3.32.
The state has a certified tax rate that requires an appraisal every four to five years. Not every home is assessed higher; some are assessed lower or the same.
“We are underfunded, and if we continue like this, we will be paying for people to live in Knox County while construction prices skyrocket. In 1999, the price of asphalt was $22.99, today it is $118. That’s the way it is with everything, the price goes up, but not in Knox County.”
“People are really pleased that our property taxes are so low, but I don’t think they realize how low they really are. The tax rate has been $2.12 forever and ever. If we had kept that tax rate, the difference would have been $111 million.”
“For the last 30 years, everyone has said, ‘Vote for me and I will never raise your taxes.’ The result is that we now have a huge debt problem. In 1999, our debt was $300 million, now it’s over $800 million; with principal and interest, that’s $1.2 billion in liabilities.”
Jay never said, “If I’m elected, I’m going to raise taxes,” but that’s for sure. Jay said he loves the service aspect of politics, but could do without about 15 percent of the dirt and mud that comes with the job.
“I think you have to tell people the truth. Knox County is on the brink of financial disaster. I don’t know if taxes will be raised while I’m in office, I just don’t know…but one day it will happen.” Info: www.larsenjay.com.
