Metro Nashville Spending Scorecard

Revenues and taxes

Where the money comes from, how the property-tax rate and the tax base moved, and whether yearly revenues covered yearly spending.

Audited figures through FY2025 · adopted budgets through FY2026, recommended FY2027 · peer cities through FY2025 · built 2026-11-02

Revenues and taxes

Where Metro's money comes from, how the property-tax rate and the tax base moved, and whether yearly revenues covered yearly core spending.

The revenue mix barely moved in twenty years: property tax two fifths, sales tax a sixth

Share of governmental-fund revenues by source. Borrowing and transfers between funds are not revenues and are left out.

Property taxesLocal option sales taxOther taxes, licenses & permitsState, federal & other governmentsCharges, commissions & feesFines & forfeitsInvestment income & other

Source by source

Ten- and twenty-year growth multiples and the share of all revenue.

SourceFY2015FY202510-yr20-yrShare FY15Share FY25

The rate fell with each reappraisal and was raised twice on purpose

Combined General Services District plus Urban Services District rate, $ per $100 of assessed value. Tennessee law resets the rate to a revenue-neutral level after each reappraisal (2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021, 2025), so a falling rate does not mean a falling bill. The FY2013 and FY2021 increases were deliberate; FY2026 raised it again after reappraisal.

The tax base grew far faster than the levy; reappraisal law returned the difference

Indexed to FY2015 = 100: assessed value of taxable property, the property-tax levy, and population × government costs. The levy tracks what taxpayers actually owe regardless of rate resets.

Revenues and spending rose together; capital projects above the core line are bond-financed

Nominal dollars. When revenues sit below core spending the gap is covered by reserves.

Deficits before each tax increase, surpluses after, and the latest surplus is nearly gone

Revenues minus core spending, as a share of core spending. Negative years draw down reserves.