Council Rejects Sales Tax Withdrawal Resolution

Clarksville's City Council voted 2-11 against a measure to raise the city's share of countywide sales tax proceeds.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in City Hall

Straight-on view of a pale limestone and glass civic building under overcast daylight, with an empty plaza and a bare flagpole in the foreground. — Clarksville's City Council voted 2-11 on Thursday, Nov. 5, to reject a resolution that would have raised the city's share of countywide sales tax proceeds from 24 percent to 50 percent. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should Clarksville change how it splits local sales tax revenue with Montgomery County?

The Clarksville City Council rejected on Thursday, Nov. 5, a resolution to withdraw from local option sales tax agreements with Montgomery County, voting 2-11 against it. The measure would have raised the city's share of proceeds from 24 percent to 50 percent in phases.

Why it matters

The resolution was introduced to address flat county property tax funding for schools over the past decade while county spending and collections grew sharply. The vote leaves the existing sales tax arrangement in place for Clarksville residents and the county.

The vote was 2-11, with Councilman Brian Zacharias and Mayor Joe Pitts the only supporters. The proposal would have set the city's share at 35 percent beginning in fiscal year 2028 before reaching 50 percent in fiscal year 2031, and the status of any future proposal remains unannounced.

The players

Brian Zacharias

Clarksville City Councilman who introduced the resolution during his unsuccessful campaign for mayor and was one of two votes in favor.

Joe Pitts

Mayor of Clarksville who cast one of only two votes in favor of the resolution.

Stacey Streetman

Ward 10 Clarksville City Councilman who assessed that the resolution could lead to a lawsuit from Montgomery County.

The details

Councilman Brian Zacharias introduced the measure during his unsuccessful mayoral campaign, citing flat county property tax funding for schools over 10 years. Ward 4 Councilman Tim Chandler's motion to postpone the resolution until January 2027 failed for lack of a second before the council voted it down.

Fiscal year 2028: city would have begun retaining 35 percent of countywide sales tax under the resolution.
Fiscal year 2031: city share would have reached 50 percent under the resolution.
January 2027: date to which Chandler's failed motion sought to postpone the measure.
Thursday, Nov. 5: council rejected the resolution 2-11.

Legal Context

The dispute centers on the existing local option sales tax agreements that divide countywide proceeds between Clarksville and Montgomery County, with the county's school system as its largest annual payment. The rejected resolution would have shifted that split toward the city, a move Ward 10 Councilman Stacey Streetman warned could prompt a county lawsuit.

The vote keeps the current 24 percent city share of countywide sales tax proceeds in place rather than moving toward 50 percent. Residents will see no change to how sales tax revenue is divided between the city and the county as a result of this vote.

The takeaway

Local sales tax splits are set by agreements between governments, and proposals to change them can be rejected by a council vote before any transition begins. Following future council agendas is the best way to track whether the sales tax arrangement is revisited.