TACIR

29 counties see growth in fiscal capacity index

Source: TACIR.

 Twenty-nine counties are experiencing an upward trend in their fiscal capacity, 11 are holding steady, and 55 are trending downward, according to an index complied by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. The fiscal capacity model is used to calculate how much local governments must contribute under the school funding formula — both under the old Basic Education Program and the new Tenenssee Investment in Student Achievement program.

Here is a look at each county’s ratio between their the 5- and 15-year averages to show whether their trend is up, down, or stable.

RankCounty5 to 15 RatioTrend Direction
1Williamson1.1584UP
2Moore1.1258UP
3Pickett1.1254UP
4Trousdale1.1186UP
5Rutherford1.1139UP
6Lewis1.0994UP
7Wilson1.0972UP
8Hancock1.0842UP
9Davidson1.0831UP
10Sevier1.0816UP
11Maury1.0799UP
12Sumner1.0665UP
13Union1.0583UP
14Marshall1.0537UP
15Hickman1.0497UP
16Fayette1.0443UP
17Monroe1.0392UP
18Overton1.0365UP
19Rhea1.0359UP
20Blount1.0313UP
21Stewart1.0307UP
22Wayne1.0289UP
23DeKalb1.0264UP
24Meigs1.0206UP
25Robertson1.0188UP
26Perry1.017UP
27Franklin1.0169UP
28Loudon1.0156UP
29Dickson1.0105UP
30Putnam1.008STEADY
31Grainger1.0037STEADY
32Scott1.0031STEADY
33Jefferson1.0008STEADY
34Smith0.9999STEADY
35Humphreys0.9992STEADY
36White0.998STEADY
37Cumberland0.9979STEADY
38Bedford0.9975STEADY
39Hardin0.9962STEADY
40Sequatchie0.9911STEADY
41Hamblen0.9897DOWN
42Van Buren0.9891DOWN
43Marion0.9874DOWN
44Hamilton0.9866DOWN
45Cocke0.983DOWN
46Knox0.982DOWN
47Morgan0.9814DOWN
48Cheatham0.9792DOWN
49Bradley0.978DOWN
50Lawrence0.9727DOWN
51Benton0.9681DOWN
52Johnson0.967DOWN
53Decatur0.9664DOWN
54Grundy0.9636DOWN
55Lauderdale0.9625DOWN
56Giles0.9623DOWN
57Crockett0.9586DOWN
58Henry0.9583DOWN
59Macon0.9583DOWN
60Warren0.9579DOWN
61Washington0.9566DOWN
62Montgomery0.9548DOWN
63Anderson0.9544DOWN
64Lincoln0.9514DOWN
65Coffee0.9506DOWN
66Claiborne0.9477DOWN
67McMinn0.9456DOWN
68Henderson0.9449DOWN
69Gibson0.9449DOWN
70Campbell0.9422DOWN
71Madison0.9392DOWN
72Hawkins0.9362DOWN
73Tipton0.9337DOWN
74Chester0.9309DOWN
75Sullivan0.9301DOWN
76Clay0.9284DOWN
77Weakley0.9276DOWN
78Dyer0.927DOWN
79Carter0.926DOWN
80Fentress0.9247DOWN
81Cannon0.9242DOWN
82Obion0.9146DOWN
83Lake0.9139DOWN
84Roane0.9068DOWN
85Houston0.9028DOWN
86Polk0.9002DOWN
87Unicoi0.8989DOWN
88Carroll0.8923DOWN
89McNairy0.8906DOWN
90Hardeman0.8906DOWN
91Haywood0.8898DOWN
92Greene0.8814DOWN
93Shelby0.8786DOWN
94Bledsoe0.8559DOWN
95Jackson0.8113DOWN

Report suggests independent commission to adjust TN legislator pay

A review of Tennessee state legislators’ compensation suggests lawmakers representing large geographic areas get more money for travel within their districts and that an independent commission be created to consider future adjustments in payments, reports the News Sentinel.

The report also proposes consideration of changing state law to let legislators refuse payments and says the current per-diem expense payment system – which gives bigger checks to legislators living more than 50 miles from the state capitol – might be unfair to some members of the General Assembly.

The study by staff of the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, or TACIR, was mandated by a resolution – SJR463, sponsored by state Sen. Mae Beavers, R-Mount Juliet – that was adopted unanimously by the House and Senate in March. (Note: Full report HERE.)

Overall, the study says Tennessee legislator compensation is “near the middle” of salaries paid to lawmakers in comparable states – a list including eight neighboring states plus Indiana and Louisiana, deemed to have comparable demographics.

…The report notes 21 other states, including the neighboring states of Arkansas and Missouri, have legislative compensation commissions to periodically review and adjust legislative pay.

In discussion of the report at last week’s meeting of the TACIR board, Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland observed it’s politically difficult for legislators to approve increases in their pay, even if justified, and a commission would “take the burden off members” – especially if, as is the case in some states, the commission’s recommendations are automatically adopted without further action by the Legislature.

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