Fairview has recently appeared on lists of Tennessee communities that approved major property-tax increases, with several reports placing the city's increase at 42 percent.

That number is accurate, but it needs context.

Fairview did not increase every resident's entire property-tax bill by 42 percent. The city increased its own property-tax rate from $0.5904 to $0.8404 per $100 of assessed property value for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026.

That is an increase of 25 cents, or approximately 42.3 percent, in the Fairview portion of the rate.

The Fairview Board of Commissioners approved the new rate as part of the city's 2026-27 budget on June 18. The measure passed 4-1, with Mayor Lisa Anderson, Vice Mayor Chris McDonald, Commissioner Wayne Hall and Commissioner Carolyn Roberts supporting it. Commissioner Don Bufalini voted against it.

What Will That Cost Homeowners?

Tennessee does not tax residential property directly on its full appraised value. A residential property is generally assessed at 25 percent of that value, and the tax rate is then applied to each $100 of assessed value.

For a Fairview home appraised at $300,000, the taxable assessment would normally be $75,000.

At the previous city rate of $0.5904, the Fairview portion of the annual tax would be approximately $442.80. At the new rate of $0.8404, it would be approximately $630.30.

That is an increase of $187.50 per year.

For a home appraised at $400,000, the city portion would rise from approximately $590.40 to $840.40, an increase of $250 annually.

Here is the simplest rule of thumb: the new city rate adds approximately $62.50 per year for every $100,000 of appraised residential value, assuming the appraisal and assessment remain unchanged.

These examples cover only the City of Fairview tax. Property owners also pay Williamson County taxes, which appear on the same bill but are set separately by the Williamson County Commission. Because the county tax remains another major portion of the bill, a homeowner's total bill would not increase by the full 42 percent solely because of Fairview's decision.

Individual results can also differ because of appraisal changes, exemptions, property classification and other circumstances.

Why Did the Rate Start at $0.5904?

The comparison is complicated by Williamson County's 2025 property reappraisal.

Before that reappraisal, Fairview's city tax rate was $0.8765. The rate was lowered to $0.5904 following the reappraisal, when assessed property values increased.

Under Tennessee's certified-tax-rate process, a local government generally cannot receive a revenue windfall solely because properties were reappraised. The rate is adjusted to produce approximately the same revenue from the existing tax base before a government separately considers an increase.