Lakeland mayoral candidate Connie McCarter acknowledged that raising taxes may be necessary to address the city’s municipal debt during a recent podcast interview, while incumbent Mayor Josh Roman defended the city’s current tax rate and financial strategy.
The exchange occurred during an appearance on Off the Cuff on the Bluff, hosted by Dean Franklin. When asked by Brad Bell how she would manage the city’s debt without raising taxes, McCarter responded, “Unfortunately, we might have to increase the taxes. We might have to.”
The comments come during the final week of Lakeland’s mayoral election, with municipal debt, taxation and long-term financial obligations among the key issues in the race. McCarter has repeatedly criticized the city’s borrowing and spending priorities, and her campaign website emphasizes fiscal conservatism.
Following the podcast, The Lakeland Banner contacted McCarter for clarification on her remarks and whether she would establish a timeline for raising taxes if elected. McCarter responded, “I stand by what I said in the podcast.”
Roman, who is seeking another term as mayor, disputed the suggestion that a tax increase is necessary to manage the city’s existing obligations. He pointed to the city’s property tax rate of 94 cents per $100 of assessed value, which he said remains the lowest in Shelby County, and outlined how the city plans to address its debt.
“We’ve heard ‘taxes will have to go up’ in Lakeland since 2013. When we built the community center and YMCA, we set the rate to pay for it up front, so that debt is already covered. After reappraisal we held at 94 cents while neighboring cities raised theirs, and we still have the lowest rate in Shelby County,” Roman said.
“The rest of our debt is for a low interest school building and state required sewer lines paid through sewer bills that we have an approved plan to offset. And with new business like Culver’s bringing its first West Tennessee location to Lakeland, our tax base is growing. That’s a plan, not a crisis,” he added.
McCarter’s comments did not outline a specific tax increase, identify which taxes might be affected or establish a timeline for any potential changes. Roman, meanwhile, maintains that the city can meet its financial obligations while keeping the current property tax rate.
The Tuesday, Nov. 3 election will determine whether voters favor McCarter’s approach to addressing the city’s financial obligations or Roman’s strategy of maintaining the existing tax rate while managing debt and growing the city’s tax base.
