MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TN – Property owners in Montgomery County will receive a postcard value change notification from the Montgomery County Assessor of Property Office in May via the US Postal Service. The notifications represent the market value and assessment classification for the 2024 revaluation year for all properties in Montgomery County.

Cyclical revaluations are a State of TN requirement for all 95 counties. In Tennessee, reappraisals are conducted on four, five, or six-year cycles. Montgomery County is on a five-year schedule with the last revaluation completed in 2019. A county assessors' main responsibility is to determine a property's fair market value and classification rate as of the reappraisal year. Those values are then applied to a tax rate established by the County Commission and, if applicable, the City Council.  Assessors do not collect taxes or determine a local property tax liability.

“It is my team's responsibility to gather good data. We have conducted a visual inspection of every real property in Montgomery County over the last five years that shows the outside of a property. If there are issues inside the property, we are unaware unless the property owner brings it to our attention. Owners should contact us immediately if they disagree with their property value. We do not want anyone paying more or less or more than their fair share,” said Assessor of Property Erinne Hester.

Once the Montgomery County revaluation is approved by the Tennessee Division of Property Assessments, the new, equalized values will be published on the Montgomery County Assessor of Property webpage. 

“The value increases will be significant because Montgomery County has not revalued since 2019, when the local market started its historic climb. This revaluation accounts for five years of market growth, not just the change from 2023 to 2024. Reappraisal is a revenue-neutral process based on the historical capture of what has already happened and includes the amounts based on willing sellers and willing buyers, the quality of the building, and the location of the property,” added Hester.

Market increases in reappraisal rates throughout the state have been at historical highs. This is also true regionally as shown by the following Middle Tennessee counties on a five-year reappraisal cycle revaluing in 2024. The latest percentage increase shared by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office for Cheatham County was 72.8%, Dickson County at 52.7%, and Sumner County at 67.1%. All percentages are based on assessed value and include new construction. Montgomery County’s increase is calculated at 64.9%.

Dates to remember:
May 20: State deadline to notify property owners of any change in their assessment values. Notifications will be mailed to the address on record on or before Monday, May 20.

May 31: Last day to file an appeal with the County Board of Equalization.
June 3: Appeals to the County Board of Equalization begin.

July: The legislative bodies of the County Commission and the City Council set the respective property tax rates. 

Property owners enrolled in the Greenbelt Program are protected under state law to a cap of six percent per year or 30% on their land value. Greenbelt Program assessment change notices will show the new land market value for 2024 in addition to a capped “use value” for land that is currently enrolled in the program.  All improvements (structures) on the property are valued using the same methodology the rest of Montgomery County.

For information on how property taxes are calculated, the appeal process, the certified tax rate (CTR), and how to calculate taxes, read this brochure. The valuations for properties affected by the Dec. 9, 2023 tornado, are based on what existed on Jan. 1, 2024.

Tennessee is a truth-in-taxation state.  This means a new, revenue-neutral, certified tax rate (CTR) will be calculated.  Click here for more information on the CTR.

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – The Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization (MCVSO) recently launched its new Veterans Services Client Portal to make it easier for veterans, eligible dependents, and surviving spouses to request appointments and/or benefits briefings. The portal includes sections for new and existing clients and a request form for a VA benefits briefing.

For new MCVSO clients, two VA forms must be filled out to book the first appointment. The forms can be completed in person or online. The New Clients tab includes a step-by-step VA form tutorial video. Filling out the forms can only be done on a laptop or desktop computer, not a mobile device. Clients already registered will fill out the Existing Clients online form.

“We developed this portal for the convenience of our military veterans and surviving spouses. The portal is open 24/7 and provides our clients with clear directions and an easy-to-follow video that they can view as many times as they need. Of course, we are always here by phone and in-person as well to serve those who served us,” said MCVSO Director Hector Santos.

To access the portal for all options, visit https://vso-secure.mcgtn.org/

MCVSO provides multiple appointment options including the client portal, calling 931-553-5173, or in-person at 350 Pageant Lane Suite 405 Clarksville, Tennessee. For more information on MCSO, click here https://mcgtn.org/vso

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – As part of Distracted Driving Month, the Clarksville-Montgomery County Traffic Safety Task Force conducted their annual Distracted-Driving Operation Hands-Free bus tour on April 11.

Montgomery County Emergency Medical Services (MCEMS) provided bus transportation for the Task Force members while Tennessee State Troopers, Clarksville Police, and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies patrolled the nearby areas. Traffic Safety Task Force Members who rode the bus assisted law enforcement officers in identifying hands-free violations, seatbelt violations, and other road hazards to help limit traffic incidents and crashes. 

Stats from the three-hour bus tour resulted in 21 hands-free citations including 23 seatbelt violations, 8 speeding citations, and 42 other driving-related violations. 

“The Operation Hands-Free Bus Tour is a great way for our Traffic Safety Task Force Agencies to unite on our roads and highways to bring awareness to distracted driving. Those who work traffic incidents have seen too many unnecessary tragedies due to distracted driving. We want people to focus and practice safe driving,” said Montgomery County Driver Safety Administrator Lisa McClain.

"Operation Hands-Free" aims to reduce distracted driving crashes and fatalities by increasing enforcement efforts and educating citizens about Tennessee’s Hands-Free law. 

“Cooperation between multiple agencies in a community is vital to keeping the citizens safe and allows law enforcement to make a greater presence on the roadways and bring awareness to the importance of not being distracted while driving. We observed numerous traffic infractions and conducted several traffic stops on the tour. The event was successful and hopefully brought awareness to the importance of remaining distraction-free when driving,” said Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Denis Bowles.

Learn more about Tennessee's Hands-free law at www.HandsFreeTN.com  

To access distracted driving crash data provided by Tennessee’s Integrated Traffic Analysis Network (TITAN), visit www.tn.gov/safety/stats/dashboards/distracted-driver.html

Participating agencies include the Clarksville-Montgomery County Safety Task Force includes members from Tennessee Highway Safety Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County Emergency Medical Services, Montgomery County Driver Safety Office, Montgomery County Highway Department, Montgomery County Health Department, Montgomery County Mayor’s Office, Montgomery County Emergency Management, Clarksville Police Department, Clarksville Fire & Rescue, Clarksville Street Department, Clarksville Gas & Water Safety, Clarksville-Montgomery County School System Transportation, Ft. Campbell Military and Civilian Police, APSU Campus Police, Nashville Metro Police, and others.  

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 17, 2024

Montgomery County Government Now Accepting Mayor’s

Emerging Leaders Applications

Montgomery County, TN – Applications for the 2024-2025 Montgomery County Mayor’s Emerging Leaders (MEL) Program will be accepted through May 20, 2024.

MEL is for local high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in learning how local government works through their attendance and participation in various committee meetings. Meetings with the students begin as early as August 2024 and end in May 2025. 

“I love having the students at our meetings. We encourage them to ask questions and they are often curious about the topics we address. Students also bring up important points from their perspective that can be helpful to us. This program provides them with an outlet to be engaged and better understand what is happening on the local government level,” said Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden.

MEL provides high students with a fundamental understanding of how different aspects of county government work. Students interested in the program are asked to select their first and second choices for committees, and all students are encouraged to attend budget committee meetings. Committee choices include Airport Authority, Animal Care and Control, Emergency Medical Services, Parks and Recreation, Jail and Juvenile, School Liaison, Audit, Fire Protection, and E-911. 

Applications for the 2024-2025 Mayor’s Emerging Leaders Program can be viewed and downloaded on the banner at the top of the Montgomery County Communications Department page or by emailing Michelle Newell at [email protected] to request an application.

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TN – When Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden heard the Wagon Wheel Restaurant at 1205 Fort Campbell Boulevard was closing on April 13, he decided to recognize the contributions of the Cotterell Family in the form of a proclamation. The owners were Cheryl and Danny Cotterell along with son Daniel. Danny is a lieutenant and paramedic who has served with Montgomery County's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department since 1999. Son Daniel has also served with EMS as an emergency medical technician (EMT) since 2010.

Some “regulars” at the restaurant said a Wagon Wheel existed well before the Vietnam War. Based on those reports Montgomery County Archives Director Sarah Fry was able to access old newspaper articles from The Leaf Chronicle indicating that a Wagon Wheel Restaurant has existed on Fort Campbell Boulevard in the same proximity since the 1940s.

Based on the 1972, 1989, and 1996 articles, the owners were Stanley Ladd followed by May Shaw, who purchased the Wagon Wheel Restaurant in 1975 after waitressing there since 1964, Maria Butler, who opened the restaurant as Maria’s Wagon Wheel in 1994 until she died in 2012, and current owners Danny, Cheryl, and Daniel Cotterell who purchased the restaurant in 2015 and changed the name to Wagon Wheel Cotterell’s Family Restaurant. Archives also found articles dating back to the 1950s stating that the Wagon Wheel Restaurant was owned by the Ladd Family.

Regardless of the eatery’s name, it has always been a gathering place for regulars working in public service, military veterans, and retirees who live in Montgomery County to gather and enjoy home-cooked meals and conversation as a home away from home for up to eighty years. There is also a history of the Wagon Wheel restaurants feeding those who could not afford it.

Cheryl Cotterell said, “I dreamed about having a family restaurant my whole life where families would come and not feel out of place, - a place where kids could be kids, where employees and customers alike felt like family, and my kids and grandkids could come and play in my office, be loud, and have fun. Danny and I were long-time patrons asked by the family member who inherited the restaurant from Maria if we would be interested in buying it. Unfortunately, the significant increase in rent made it impossible to keep the business going. However, we opened our family restaurant, put a lot of hard work into it, and made many beautiful memories.” 

“I’ve known the Cotterell Family for many years, went to school, and served as an EMT with Daniel. I knew they opened the restaurant to give some love back to the community. When we found so much more to the story, thanks to our Archives Department, honoring them with a proclamation became even more meaningful. The restaurant has been part of our community’s history for eight decades - that is something to be proud of,” said Mayor Golden.

Cheryl said that although they will miss seeing their patrons, they will be busy with their growing family, who have been a big part of the restaurant over the years. She and Danny have five children and nine grandchildren with another on the way. 

“I was surprised to know there was such a long history with the Wagon Wheel Restaurants. The proclamation is beautiful. We were touched that Wes took the time to honor us and that he and his staff enjoyed a home-cooked meal with us,” added Cheryl.

Daniel Cotterell gave an emotional speech on closing night when he talked about family memories made at the restaurant from meeting his wife, to birthday parties, and baby showers, and his grandfather also meeting his current wife after being a widower for more than 20 years. 

“The Wagon Wheel turned into exactly what my mom always dreamed it would be. The grandkids truly loved everything about this place, but they loved nothing more than piling into my mom’s office, just to sit and play with her. The reality of this place far exceeded anything my mom had described, and it was so much greater than anything I ever imagined or dreamt it could be. While this building may be just a building, this business may be just a business, the truth is, it was also so much more, and it always will be,” said Daniel Cotterell.

Visit mcgtn.org/archives for more stories about history in Clarksville-Montgomery County.