Knoxville
City versus county rules, floodplain and TVA checks, and the property tax authorities
Knox County · Town of Farragut
A Knox County town with its own building codes division, no town property tax, and TVA rules for the Fort Loudoun Lake shoreline
Farragut is a town in Knox County, Tennessee, incorporated January 16, 1980. A Board of Mayor and Aldermen governs, and the Town’s own Building and Fire Codes Division enforces building codes. State records and Town staff indicate Farragut levies no town property tax; confirm a parcel’s bill with the Knox County Trustee. Docks on Fort Loudoun Lake need TVA approval.
In short: Farragut is a town in Knox County, Tennessee, governed by a mayor and aldermen, according to Knox County and state municipal records.
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| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Status | A municipality of type “Town”, incorporated January 16, 1980 under a General Law Mayor-Aldermanic charter (TCA 6-1-101 et seq.), according to the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) | Note 2 |
| Counties | MTAS lists the counties as “Knox, Loudon”, and its November 2020 sales-tax table lists Farragut under both counties, footnoted as a city with boundaries in more than one county. Knox County’s financial report calls Farragut “the only other municipality in the County” besides Knoxville, and Wikipedia’s lead says Knox County while its infobox says Knox, Loudon. A Town staff column lists the Loudon County line among the Town’s general boundaries, which does not by itself show where any parcel lies. Sources do not fully agree, so confirm the county for each parcel | Notes 2, 3, 4, 5, 31 |
| Population and land area | 23,506 at the April 1, 2020 census; 25,121 is the July 1, 2025 estimate (V2025 vintage). Land area is 15.98 square miles (2020) | Note 1 |
| Town Hall | MTAS gives 11408 Municipal Center Drive, Farragut, TN 37934 as the contact address and lists Board meetings on the 2nd and 4th Thursday at 7:00 PM at Town Hall. The Knox County Trustee’s home page lists a “Farragut Towne Hall” location at 11408 Municipal Center Dr., 1st Floor | Notes 2, 17 |
| Governing body | A Board of Mayor and Aldermen, consisting of a mayor and four aldermen, according to a Town staff column and Knox County’s draft hazard mitigation plan, which calls the charter “mayor-aldermanic”. MTAS’s charter label is General Law Mayor-Aldermanic. Wikipedia’s infobox says “mayor-council”, a label the Town and MTAS sources do not use | Notes 2, 4, 5, 32 |
| Geography | Wikipedia places the town in a hilly area between Blackoak Ridge to the north and the Tennessee River (Fort Loudoun Lake) to the south. The Town column says it is generally bordered by I-40/75 to the north, Turkey Creek Road/Boyd Station Road and the Loudon County line | Notes 4, 5 |
| Town property tax | None levied by the Town, according to state and Town sources. A 2004 report of the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) names Farragut among 84 Tennessee cities that do not levy a property tax. The State Comptroller’s 2024 and 2025 Tax Aggregate Reports give municipal assessment data only for cities that impose a property tax, and list only Knoxville under Knox County; Farragut does not appear. Town columns say the Town does not receive any portion of property tax revenue and was founded without a municipal property tax. Knox County sets the county rate and its Trustee takes payment; confirm a parcel’s bill with the Trustee | Notes 5, 14, 15, 28, 29, 30 |
| Water and sewer | First Utility District (FUD), a separate utility from the Town, provided water and wastewater service in all of what is now the Town, according to a September 2019 Farragut Press article | Note 12 |
| Electric | Lenoir City Utilities Board (LCUB) was described in an August 2019 article as the Town’s only supplier of electricity. The Town’s Building and Fire Codes page says LCUB performs electrical inspections | Notes 7, 13 |
| Fort Loudoun Lake | A TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River with 379 miles of shoreline and 14,600 acres of water surface. TVA’s Fort Loudoun Reservoir Land Management Plan covers parts of Blount, Knox and Loudon counties | Notes 26, 27 |
Related guides: Knoxville, Vonore, Tellico Lake and Tellico Village. Wikipedia’s infobox gives a total area of 16.14 square miles, 15.98 of it land (Note 4); Census QuickFacts gives the 15.98 land figure (Note 1).
A Knox County town whose edges are described by roads, a county line and Fort Loudoun Lake (Notes 4, 5).
The Town enforces its own building codes, and its zoning is adopted by its Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Property tax is billed through the county rather than the Town, and shoreline construction on the lake is subject to TVA.
MTAS lists the Town’s contact address as 11408 Municipal Center Drive, Farragut, TN 37934 (Note 2). The Town’s own zoning, subdivision, Municipal Planning Commission and floodplain pages could not be read for this guide, so confirm current rules with Community Development.
| Check | Why it matters here | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Which county bills the parcel | Sources do not fully agree on county lines. MTAS and its 2020 sales-tax table list Farragut in Knox and Loudon counties, and a Town staff column lists the Loudon County line among the Town’s boundaries, while Knox County’s financial report treats Farragut as a Knox County municipality and a February 2026 Town staff column says all property taxes paid by Farragut residents go to Knox County. Confirm the county for the parcel with the Property Assessor and Trustee of the county that bills it | Notes 2, 3, 5, 14, 31 |
| Zoning district and current ordinance | A third-party copy of the Town’s zoning ordinance says it was prepared by the Farragut Municipal Planning Commission and adopted by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Ask Community Development for the parcel’s district and the ordinance text now in force; the copy found for this guide cites 1986 and 2006 ordinances. A Town staff column says feedback from a workshop would help the Planning Commission and the Board consider possible rezoning | Notes 6, 9 |
| Permit history and codes | The Town’s Building and Fire Codes Division enforces the adopted codes and issues permits for most new construction and remodeling. Ask for permits, final inspections and, where relevant, electrical inspection records from LCUB | Note 7 |
| Flood zone and floodplain permits | Look up the address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center; Knox County’s page also points to the KGIS viewer. Farragut participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Knox County’s Floodplain Program page says mapped-floodplain development generally needs a Floodplain Development Permit, but it does not say whether that applies inside Farragut, so ask the Town which office reviews floodplain development. Knox County’s draft hazard mitigation plan lists Farragut’s floodplain regulation as Chapter 4, Section VIII of the zoning appendix to its Code of Ordinances; confirm the current text with the Town | Notes 19, 20, 21, 32 |
| Stormwater and land disturbance | Construction sites and permanent stormwater controls are governed by the Town’s stormwater ordinance. For grading or new building on acreage, ask the Town what plan review and erosion controls apply | Note 8 |
| TVA shoreline and docks | Section 26a requires TVA approval before construction, operation or maintenance of covered works such as boat docks, piers, boathouses and shoreline stabilization. TVA says its jurisdiction on its reservoirs typically reaches the limits of the 500-year floodplain or the upper limit of TVA flowage rights, whichever is higher. Ask for existing TVA permits for any dock | Notes 23, 24 |
| Dock permit in the new owner’s name | TVA’s shoreline guide says a buyer must apply for a permit in their own name (the typical fee to reissue a permit to a new owner is $250), and that changes to permitted facilities need approval even when a dock is grandfathered. State water quality permits may also be required | Note 25 |
| TVA land and land-use zones | TVA’s Fort Loudoun Reservoir Land Management Plan covers 1,513.3 acres of TVA public land in Blount, Knox and Loudon counties and guides private water use facility permitting. Ask whether TVA land or flowage rights lie between a parcel and the water | Notes 24, 27 |
| Water and sewer | First Utility District served all of the Town in a 2019 newspaper account and operates independently of the Town; no official service-area page for Farragut could be opened for this guide. A 2025 newspaper report describes FUD sewer work that needed easements and a Town right-of-way permit, so ask for the account, any sewer easement and line records | Notes 11, 12 |
| Electric | LCUB was described as the Town’s only electricity supplier in 2019. Confirm the current provider for the address | Note 13 |
| Property tax | State sources and Town staff indicate the Town levies no property tax of its own. Knox County’s page says taxes for fiscal year 2026 are levied at $1.5540 per $100 of assessed value; residential property is assessed at 25% of appraised value, and Knox County uses a four-year reappraisal cycle. Confirm the parcel’s bill with the Trustee | Notes 14, 16, 17, 18, 28, 29, 30 |
This is a checklist, not advice. Confirm each item with the Town, the county, TVA and your attorney.
| Community | Setting | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, Tennessee | City in Knox County | The City of Knoxville sets its own property tax rate ($2.1556 per $100 of assessed value on its page, separate from the county’s $1.5540), mails its own bills and does not appraise property. State sources and Town staff indicate Farragut levies no property tax of its own (Notes 16 and 22 for the rates; Notes 14, 29, 30 for Farragut) |
| Floodplain rules | Both participate in the NFIP | Knoxville’s page cites Chapter 12 of its City Code and a regulatory floodway based on the 500-year flood, stricter than FEMA’s 100-year standard. Farragut’s own floodplain rules were not confirmed for this guide (Note 21) |
| Knox County government | County that includes the Town | Sets the county rate, appraises property through the Property Assessor and takes payment through the Trustee. Its Floodplain Program page does not say whether its permit applies inside Farragut (Notes 16, 17, 19) |
This guide is written for buyers and sellers of higher-value property in East Tennessee, where the checks often turn on the parcel: which county bills it, the zoning district, the flood map, the utility provider and any TVA permit for a dock. ABODE International Realty is licensed in Tennessee (firm license 263936) and keeps a Knoxville office at 810 Clinch Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902, by appointment; see the Knoxville office page. Conversations are private.
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Farragut is a municipality of type “Town” in Knox County, Tennessee, incorporated January 16, 1980 (Note 2). MTAS also lists Loudon County and a 2020 sales-tax table marks Farragut as having boundaries in more than one county, so confirm the county for a specific parcel (Notes 2, 3, 5, 31).
According to state records and Town staff, no. A 2004 TACIR report names Farragut among Tennessee cities that do not levy a property tax, the Comptroller’s Tax Aggregate Reports list no Farragut property tax assessment, and Town columns say the Town does not receive any portion of property tax revenue (Notes 5, 14, 28, 29, 30). Knox County’s fiscal year 2026 rate is $1.5540 per $100 of assessed value (Note 16). Confirm a parcel’s bill with the Knox County Trustee.
The Town’s Building and Fire Codes Division enforces the adopted building, plumbing, gas/mechanical, housing, swimming pool and fire codes, and permits are generally required for new construction and most remodeling (Note 7). Electrical inspections are performed by Lenoir City Utilities Board (Note 7).
The Town does. A third-party copy of the ordinance says it was prepared by the Farragut Municipal Planning Commission and adopted by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (Note 9). A Town staff column says feedback on possible rezoning would help the planning commission and the Board (Note 6). Ask Community Development for the current ordinance.
A September 2019 Farragut Press article says First Utility District provided water and wastewater service in all of what is now the Town, independent of the Town (Note 12). An August 2019 article called Lenoir City Utilities Board the Town’s only electricity supplier (Note 13). Confirm current service for the address.
Generally yes. Section 26a requires TVA approval before construction, operation or maintenance of covered works such as docks, piers and boathouses (Note 23). A buyer must apply for a permit in their own name (Note 25). Whether a particular parcel falls within TVA’s jurisdiction is a parcel question for TVA (Note 24).
It varies by parcel. Check the address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center (Note 20). Farragut participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (Note 21), and Knox County’s Floodplain Program describes its own permit for mapped-floodplain development without saying whether it applies inside Farragut (Note 19).
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