Clarksville, TN — For most homeowners, a summer of budget deadlock comes down to a single line on the property-tax bill. The City of Clarksville’s property tax rate for Fiscal Year 2026-27 is $1.01 per $100 of assessed value, up 9 cents from the 92 cents residents paid the year before — an increase of just under 10 percent. Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts has estimated the change at roughly $9.00 to $10.00 more per month for many homeowners.
Whether that estimate matches your own bill depends on what your home is worth, and it pays to do the arithmetic yourself rather than rely on a citywide average. In Tennessee, residential property is assessed at 25 percent of its appraised market value, and the city rate applies to that assessed figure, not to the full market price.
Take a home the county appraises at $300,000, which carries an assessed value of $75,000. That $75,000, multiplied by the new rate of $1.01 per $100, produces a city tax of $757.50 for the year. The old 92-cent rate would have yielded $690, so the increase adds $67.50, or about $5.63 a month.
The same method scales to any home. A property appraised at $200,000 has a $50,000 assessed value and sees its city tax rise by $45 for the year, about $3.75 a month. The mayor’s $9.00 to $10.00 monthly estimate corresponds to a home appraised around $480,000; homes below that see a smaller increase, and homes above it a larger one. Your own number lands wherever your appraisal does.
One thing can complicate a year-to-year comparison like this: a countywide reappraisal. In a Tennessee reappraisal year, when property values are reset, state law requires a revenue-neutral “certified” rate, and any real increase must be measured against that certified figure rather than the prior year’s advertised rate.
Clarksville is not in that situation. Montgomery County reappraises on a five-year cycle, and its most recent revaluation was in 2024, with the next not due until 2029. Fiscal Year 2026-27 is therefore not a reappraisal year, so the 9 cents is a straightforward rate increase applied to the same assessment base as last year — not an artifact of rising valuations. The 2024 revaluation, which raised countywide values sharply, is already reflected in both the old 92-cent rate and the new $1.01.
It also helps to be clear about what the rate does and does not pay for. Property taxes feed the city’s General Fund — the roughly $178.7 million pool that covers police, fire, streets, parks, and day-to-day operations. They do not pay for water, gas, or electric service, which residents cover separately through utility bills. A higher tax rate does not change your water bill, and vice versa.
The new rate applies to the fiscal year that began July 1st, 2026.
Residents who want to speak to the Council about the budget can do so at the Regular Session on Thursday, August 6th, 2026, at 6:00pm in the City Council Chambers at 106 Public Square. To be placed on the public-comment list, contact City Clerk Lisa Canfield at 931.648.6121 or lisa.canfield@cityofclarksville.com no later than 12:00pm (noon) on Tuesday, August 4th, 2026. The agenda is available through the City Clerk at the same number or at clarksvilletn.gov/129/Agendas-Minutes.
