Should DeKalb County adopt a property tax freeze for eligible senior citizens?

February 7, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Should DeKalb County adopt a property tax freeze for eligible senior citizens?

County Mayor Matt Adcock wants to make that happen and will propose that the county commission adopt a resolution authorizing it at the next regular monthly meeting on February 27.

“I want to give senior citizens that are at the poverty level the opportunity to keep paying the property tax rate they are paying now because I know going forward DeKalb County is growing and we have talked about building a school and a jail so with that possibly forthcoming I wanted to do something to ease the property tax burden on senior citizens with fixed incomes even if we have to increase the property tax rate at some point in the future,” County Mayor Adcock told WJLE.

In November 2006, Tennessee voters approved an amendment to Article II, Section 28 of the Tennessee Constitution giving the General Assembly the authority by general law to authorize counties and/or municipalities to implement a local option property tax freeze for taxpayers 65 years of age or older.

In its 2007 session, the 105th General Assembly enacted the Property Tax Freeze Act which establishes the tax freeze and authorizes the legislative body of any county and/or municipality to adopt the property tax freeze program. The Act became effective on July 1, 2007.

Under the program, homeowners qualifying for the program would have the property taxes on their principal residence (up to five acres) frozen at a base tax amount, which is the amount of taxes owed in the year they first qualify for the program. Thereafter, as long as the owner continues to qualify for the program, the amount of property taxes owed for that property generally would not change, even if there is a property tax rate increase or county-wide reappraisal.

In order to qualify, the homeowner must file an application annually and must:

·Own their principal place of residence in a participating county and/or city

·Be 65 years of age or older by the end of the year in which the application is filed

·Have an income from all sources that does not exceed the county income limit established for that tax year which for DeKalb County is $33,460 for tax year 2023.

In counties or municipalities participating in the Tax Freeze Program, an application may be made annually to the County Trustee or city collecting official.

The state Comptroller’s Office will calculate the income limit for each county annually using a formula outlined in state law.

Situations, where the base tax amount would change for a homeowner, are:

·When improvements are made to the property resulting in an increase in its value

·When the homeowner sells their home and purchases another residence

The tax freeze is available only on the principal place of residence of the qualifying homeowner located in a participating county or city.

February 7, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Building permit fees are going up in the City of Smithville.

During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, the Aldermen adopted on first reading an ordinance to amend the current schedule of permit fees for building, mechanical, and plumbing upon the recommendation of the city’s building codes inspector Lewis Bryant.

Currently, building permits are calculated based on $80 per square foot cost for a single-family dwelling. Under this ordinance, the fee would increase to $120 per square foot cost. For example, the cost of a building permit for a 1,953 square foot structure would increase from the current fee of $694.10 to $951.50.

Mechanical permits currently include a $30 base fee for the first $1,000 and $3 for each additional thousand dollars. The new base fee would go to $50 for the first $1,000 and $5 for each additional thousand dollars.

The cost of a plumbing permit currently includes a $20 base fee plus $3.50 per fixture. The new plumbing permit would consist of a $40 base fee plus $5.00 per fixture.

According to the ordinance amendment, the final building permit valuation shall be set by the building official and may be adjusted upon current data provided by the International Code Council where applicable.

The ordinance amendment also establishes a $100 fee for consultation or inspection not otherwise covered by a building, mechanical, or plumbing permit.

Second and final reading of the ordinance will be scheduled at the next meeting of the Mayor and Aldermen following a public hearing in March.

In other business, Mayor Josh Miller announced that Travis Holland has been hired to work at the sewer plant. He will have to be employed for a year before he can earn his certification for the position. The aldermen voted to approve the hiring of Holland.

Meanwhile, the aldermen approved the re-appointment of Renee Steff and Bert Driver to the Smithville Industrial Development Board. Their terms are for two years.

The aldermen also adopted on first reading an ordinance to rezone the Carol Buchanan property from R-1 residential to C-1 commercial located at State Route 56 and Jennings Lane near the Smithville Church of the Nazarene. The action was taken upon the recommendation of the Smithville Planning Commission. Second and final reading action on the rezoning ordinance will be scheduled following a public hearing at the next meeting in March.

February 6, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A joint investigation by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and Smithville Police Department has netted more than 103 grams of Heroin and Fentanyl along with other narcotics and resulted in the arrest of two suspected drug dealers.

61-year-old Tommye Lou Bell of Hawkins Drive and 35-year-old Gary Christopher Ponder of South College Street were taken into custody Sunday night after the local law enforcement agencies executed search warrants at their homes. In addition to the narcotics which also included morphine, diazepam, and marijuana, officers seized $20,000 in cash believed to be from illegal drug sales, a 2021 Honda CRV, and a Glock 43 nine-millimeter pistol and ammunition.

Bell is under a $210,000 bond and will appear in DeKalb County General Sessions Court February 16 on charges of possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule I drug (Heroin), Schedule II drug (Fentanyl), Schedule II drug (Morphine), Schedule IV drug (Diazepam), a Schedule VI drug (Marijuana), and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Ponder is charged with 2 counts of sale and delivery of a Schedule I drug (Heroin). His bond is $100,000 and he will make a court appearance on February 23.

“On Sunday, February 5 in a joint operation with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and the Smithville Police Department, two search warrants were served at two different addresses including the homes of Bell and Ponder,” said Sheriff Patrick Ray and Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins in a joint statement.
“At Bell’s home we found (marijuana) edibles with too high of a THC amount to be legal in Tennessee. There were 26 baggies of a white powdery and red powdery substance believed to be Heroin and Fentanyl totaling 103.31 grams with a street value of $15,000. We also seized morphine and diazepam pills, $20,000 in cash, a 2021 Honda CRV, and a Glock 43 nine-millimeter handgun and ammo,” said Sheriff Ray and Police Chief Collins.

According to the warrants against Bell, the search of her home turned up 26 baggies of a powdery substance believed to be Heroin/Fentanyl that weighed an estimated 103.31 grams, a variety of marijuana products including 28 bags of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana that weighed 7.4 ounces: 10 baggies of edibles (marijuana), four jars of marijuana cigarettes, and four tubes containing marijuana joints. Two- 30 milligram morphine pills and 3.5 diazepam pills were also found and collected at the residence along with numerous baggies, scales, and other paraphernalia, a Glock 43 nine-millimeter pistol and ammunition, an estimated $20,000 in cash, and a vehicle.

The warrants against Ponder alleged that he sold to a confidential source working for the Smithville Police Department 3.3 grams of Heroin on February 2 and 14 grams of Heroin on February 5.

“We were glad to be in an operation with the city police department. We had a good night, Sunday night and were able to knock off big dealers and take drugs off the street. I am sure there will be more to come later as Bell faces additional charges,” said Sheriff Ray.

“We enjoyed working with the sheriff’s department,” added Police Chief Collins. “We are all on the same team although we wear different badges. We just want to get this dope off the streets,” he said.

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