The vote to ban state property tax in Tennessee forever

As property taxes rise sharply across Tennessee, voters may soon decide whether the state should permanently remove the option of adding a new layer of taxation.

Tennessee has not collected a state property tax since 1946. But the authority to impose one still exists in the state constitution — and that authority could be eliminated with a single statewide vote.

A proposed constitutional amendment would permanently ban a state property tax, preventing future legislatures from ever enacting one. The measure is set to appear on the ballot during the November 2026 gubernatorial election.

State lawmakers previously took a similar step with the state income tax. After years of debate, legislators not only blocked the tax but removed the legal authority to create one from the constitution altogether. Supporters say this effort mirrors that move.

Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell describes the existing constitutional authority as a “sleeping dragon” — one that may not be activated today or tomorrow, but could be awakened in the future.

Mitchell says in fast-growing counties like Rutherford, rising property values are already placing significant strain on homeowners, retirees, and small businesses. He says the possibility of an additional state property tax only adds to that pressure.

Mitchell says he brought the idea of a constitutional amendment to Americans for Prosperity–Tennessee, arguing that removing the option altogether would protect taxpayers from future financial burdens.

Changing the Tennessee Constitution is intentionally difficult. The proposal must pass two consecutive General Assemblies — first with a simple majority, then with a two-thirds majority. Lawmakers approved the measure, clearing the way for a public vote.

Americans for Prosperity–Tennessee Director Tori Venable says the upcoming referendum is historic. She compares it to the fight over the state income tax two decades ago, when voters ultimately decided to ban it permanently.

Venable says without a constitutional ban, a future legislature could impose a state property tax with a single vote, adding it on top of existing local property taxes. She says the amendment would remove that possibility forever.

Venable also says rising local property taxes are already forcing people — particularly seniors — out of their homes, especially in urban areas like Nashville.

She says longtime residents are being displaced not because they want to leave, but because they can no longer afford their tax bills.

The proposal faced little opposition in the General Assembly. Now the decision moves to voters.

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