Mt. Juliet will spend $75,000 to study whether developers should pay impact fees on new construction.
The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday, Sept. 28, to amend the city's fiscal year 2026-27 budget and hire a consulting firm for the study, Main Street Media first reported.
"This will start the process," City Manager Kenny Martin said at the meeting. "This is a new company and it will let us know the cost and is very helpful."
The vote ties real budget dollars to the city's push for developer impact fees. Right now, Mt. Juliet cannot require developers to pay toward long-term infrastructure costs such as roads, sewers, stormwater systems and parks. Contributions are voluntary under the city's Home Rule Charter, according to NewsChannel 5.
That could change Nov. 3. Voters will decide whether to repeal Home Rule. If the repeal passes, the city would gain authority to seek state legislative approval for a mandatory impact fee program.
Mayor James Maness said at the Aug. 10 Board of Commissioners meeting that repealing Home Rule is necessary for the city to establish "fair and equitable impact fees," according to board records.
Commissioner Jennifer Milele, who represents District 4, has been one of the most vocal supporters of the change. In an Aug. 14 NewsChannel 5 report, Milele said the city relies mainly on sales tax and property tax and argued that without a structured system, "the burdens will always be on the taxpayer."
The stakes track with Mt. Juliet's growth. About 19,000 people lived in the city when voters adopted the Home Rule Charter in 2006. The population is now roughly 45,000.
The $75,000 study would provide commissioners with cost estimates for a potential impact fee program. Martin did not name the firm hired for the work, and the full text of the budget amendment was not available from the meeting's agenda posting.
The Sept. 28 meeting also included a discussion item on Public Chapter 1044, a state law related to the impact fee framework.
Three public information meetings on the Home Rule ballot question remain. The next is Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m. at West Wilson Middle School, hosted by Commissioner Scott Hefner. Commissioner Bill Trivett hosts Thursday, Oct. 8, at Green Hill High School. Mayor Maness hosts the final session Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. at Mt. Juliet Middle School.
