Knox County Tennessee

Overview

The services provided by Knox County (the County) are made available as a result of revenues collected.

By far, the greatest amount of revenue received is from property taxes. The assessed value of property is established by the Property Assessor. The County Commission approves the property tax rate based on the needs presented in the budget.

Taxes for the 2024 fiscal year are levied at a rate of $1.5540 per $100 of assessed value. The 2024 tax rate is divided between General Government and the Schools as follows:

Amount:
% of Total Levy
General Government:
General Fund
$0.6524
42.0%
Debt Service Fund
$0.5864
20.3%
General Purpose School Fund
$0.3152
37.7%
Total Tax Levy
$1.5540
100.00%

These taxes are collected by the Trustee's Office.

Revenue Summary



After property taxes, the second largest revenue source is the State of Tennessee. These may be reimbursements for taxes paid on alcohol, or funds to repair roads, provide health services for the needy, support the schools, etc. These funds are forwarded by the state to various offices in the county, receipted in the Finance Department and banked through the Trustee’s Office – as are all revenues.

The remaining revenues (about 12% of the total) are received from a variety of sources.

Operating Budget by Expenditure Category

Debt Administration

At June 30, 2022 the County and the Board had the following debt amounts outstanding:

The County
The Board
Total
Bonded Debt
$372,492,019
$329,380,938
$701,872,957

The County maintains and AA+ bond rating by Standard and Poor’s and an Aa1 Rating by Moody's Investor Services.