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Recent local television news stories concerning the
information available on this website have questioned the advisability of
making assessment records accessible.
Our policy to place this information on our website is
based on the following facts:
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Property Assessor records in Tennessee are deemed by
state statute to be public records, and as such have been accessible for
many decades to anyone who requests that information. This includes
pictures, sketches and data used to determine the appraised value of
property.
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The Assessor is charged by law with the responsibility
of maintaining these records in an accurate and current manner and does
not have the discretion to remove any of the records from public access.
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The Canon of Ethics for the International Association
of Assessing Officers contains the following rule to which members of our
professional organization abide:
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E.R. 1-4
It is unethical for members not to make available all public records in
their custody for public review, unless access to such records is
specifically limited or prohibited by law, or the information has been
obtained on a confidential basis and the law permits such information to be
treated confidentially. Assessing officers must make every reasonable effort
to inform the public about their rights and responsibilities under the law
and the property tax system.
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Much of the same information is available from other
government offices, in whole or in part, such as the Metropolitan Planning
Commission's property mapping site. Property records of other counties in
Tennessee may be obtained through the State Comptroller Office website.
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In addition, many private businesses have acquired
public records from Assessor Offices to prepare reports on real estate sales
and housing trends, which are then sold to subscribers.
The decision to make public records available on the
internet simply improves citizen access to records to which they are
entitled under law.
The Assessor cannot selectively remove data from the
files subject to such access.
One of our primary objectives is to provide property
owners with sufficient information to judge whether the appraised value we
have set for their property is equitable when compared with other
properties. By giving access to the information pertinent to an
appraisal, we are giving them the tools necessary to make meaningful
comparisons.
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