The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury sent a letter to Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell on Tuesday alleging that the county has not complied with several requirements under the state’s property laws.
The letter, sent by the director of the comptroller office’s Division of Property Assessments Bryan Kinsey, said the the comptroller’s office previously notified the county of its issues in early 2024, however, said the county has failed to take the appropriate steps to correct the following deficiencies:
- Objective changes pushed to 2026: For physical changes to properties that were noted in 2024 but keyed for 2026 rather than the current year, the Division asked the County to add the changes to the correct tax year.
- Proration of new construction: For properties that were completed in 2023 and 2024 but not prorated as of the time of completion in the applicable tax year, the Division asked the County to prorate for the appropriate year.
- Square footage errors: For properties with incorrect square footage listed, the Division asked the County to correct the square footage issues.
- Assessment classification: For properties that should have been assessed as commercial but were assessed as residential, the Division asked the County to properly classify the properties.
“Although the County assessor notified me on February 3, 2025, that the County had completed all the action items, the Division’s subsequent review of the submission has revealed that the County was either unable or unwilling to make the necessary corrections as required under [Tennessee law],” Kinsey wrote in Tuesday’s letter.
The comptroller’s office said the county will be given 60 days to correct the deficiencies to comply with state law before the State Board of Equalization provides a notice of noncompliance.
Mitchell denied the allegations against the county on Tuesday, telling the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal, “I deny the allegations. The charges have no merit. I will vigorously defend myself and my office.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Rob Mitchell” by Rob Mitchell and “Rutherford Property Assessor’s Office” by Rutherford County Property Assessor.
