JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Jonesborough Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a budget and a 28% property tax increase Tuesday night.

The measure passed in a 2–1 vote, with Alderwoman Virginia Causey voting against it.

The property tax rate will increase from a rate of 96.6 cents to $1.24 per $100 of assessed value.

Taxes on a home valued at $250,000 would increase from $604 to $775 a year.

Mayor Kelly Wolfe said there are many projects the town needs to catch up on that were postponed in recent years to avoid a tax increase then.

“We’ve got, kind of a residual effect going on right now post-COVID, post-inflation,” Wolfe said. “You know, we’re still trying to pave roads in the town of Jonesborough, which hasn’t gotten any less expensive. We’ve got to buy all new police radios for our police and fire departments. We’re buying half of our police cars again this year. We’ve got several projects, like at the water park, major upgrades that have to be done. “

Wolfe said town leaders have tried to be “very conservative” in recent years when it comes to the budget and taxes. The last tax increase was two years ago, when the board approved a 21% increase.

“What we’re seeing at this point is catch up on a lot of things that we as a community were able to conservatively budget and postpone, for a period of time until we thought that it was more appropriate to try and approach it,” he said.

The board also approved an 8.5% increase in solid waste fees and changes to the water and sewer rates.